The Space Between Us
by chassecroise
Summary: What's a ladybug to do when her kitten becomes a cat?
1. upward and outward

_**Author's Note:**_ Time for some post-reveal, pre-relationship love square shenanigans! This is going to be a summer fic with all the cliches you can think of: awkward growth spurts, roadtrips, beach trips, bed sharing, midnight kisses, karaoke, and all that fun stuff. :) I've always been interested in exploring that middle ground post-reveal to actually developing a romantic relationship, so it's gonna happen here! Expect lots of adorable awkwardness, fluff, and internal conflict.

* * *

Adrien has always had freakishly large hands. It's one of the first things that Alya points out to Marinette after she confesses that she has a huge crush on him, along with his oversized feet.

Marinette points out at the time that it's probably because he's going to end up being tall as his parents; both of who are over six feet fall. She doesn't point out that she also finds his large, bony hands weirdly attractive, because even though Alya knows pretty much everything about her crush, there are a few things that are best kept private, even from the best of friends.

At any rate, she's pretty sure that Alya has already figured out that particular detail. Marinette has never been very good at hiding her emotions, especially when it comes to her feelings for Adrien Agreste. The entire class knows about her crush on him.

Except, that is, Adrien himself. At least, that's what Marinette thinks. She's not sure anymore. In the two weeks that have passed since they revealed their superhero identities to each other, Marinette's not sure what to call her relationship with him anymore.

It's a friendship, to be sure, but one that exists in an awkward space between being something more than platonic friendship and less than something romantic.

They still flirt like crazy when they're in uniform—old habits die hard, after all—but when they're just Adrien and Marinette, well, things are a little bit more complicated.

When almost every inch of their bodies is covered by the magical equivalent of spandex and leather, it's nothing for Ladybug and Chat Noir to roll around on the ground and fly through the air with their bodies pressed together and their lips mere centimeters from touching.

Even something as simple as passing a pencil to Adrien in class and brushing her fingertips against his sets Marinette's senses on high alert and feels a thousand times more intimate and nerve-wracking than anything she's ever done with him as Ladybug, and judging from the looks on Adrien's face, he feels the same way.

And yet—he hasn't said anything either. Maybe he's still processing his own emotions about the whole situation, but that doesn't do much to ease Marinette's own confusion.

All of this is driving Marinette a little crazy, and she's hoping for a bit of a break, now that they've graduated from Francoise-Dupont and their summer holidays have finally begun. Adrien's going on a two week trip out of town to do a photoshoot by the sea for one of Gabriel's summer collections, and she's finally going to have a chance to process everything on her own.

* * *

Alas, she doesn't get the break she's hoping for, because not 24 hours after Adrien leaves, her phone buzzes. It's him.

 **Adrien:** Hey, are you busy? I know it's late, but I was hoping to talk to you…if you're okay with that

Marinette checks the time. It's almost 9pm, patrol time. Maybe he wants to talk duty. Although her gut instinct is telling her that's not the case.

 **Marinette** : Of course, anytime. You know I'm always all ears to hear what you have to say

She considers adding _chaton_ to the end of her text before deciding against it. Over the past two weeks, both of them have pointedly avoided using their nicknames for each other.

She sends the text as is. A few minutes later, to her surprise, instead of another text, Adrien sends her a Facetime request. He's sitting in the dark, and his face looks much paler than usual.

"Adrien—are you feeling okay? You look ill!"

"It's just the lighting, I promise. I'm fine!"

Marinette shakes her head. "I don't buy it."

Adrien sighs. "You know me too well, _bugi_ —Marinette."

"So tell me what's wrong."

Adrien hesitates for a few moments, flushing in the darkness.

Finally, he whispers, "I'm having a growth spurt. A big one."

"Everyone has growth spurts, Adrien!" says Marinette, laughing. "It's nothing to be embarrassed about!"

Adrien shakes his head. "It's just…everything hurts, Marinette. I haven't been able to sleep for the past three nights. My legs are aching like hell and I can't seem to control any of my limbs, and the photographers keep yelling at me for having bags under my eyes. And I mean, they have Photoshop for all of that, but what if all of this affects my abilities as Chat Noir? What if I can't help you the way I'm supposed to?"

Adrien looks so forlorn that there's nothing more that Marinette wants to do than to reach through the screen and give him a big hug. Of course he's worried about helping Paris while she's focused on their relationship and where it goes from here. He's always been selfless that way.

"Adrien, don't worry about being able to fulfill your duties. I'm sure everything will be just fine! It's all part of growing up, and anyway, you'll grow into it all eventually!"

Finally, Adrien smiles. "You're right. Thanks Marinette, that really helps. It's easy to lose perspective when I'm so far away from you."

"Plagg might just need a little extra camembert to keep up," she adds with a wink, trying to hide the pink flush creeping up her cheeks with a joke.

Adrien laughs. "I'll try to keep that in mind."

He looks at the clock in his room and his eyes widen. "Oh! It's getting late—I should probably let you get to sleep. I'll catch you later?"

Marinette nods. "Okay. Good night!"

"Good night, Marinette."

The screen goes dark and Marinette sits in the darkness for a few minutes, thinking about their conversation, before sliding under the covers and falling asleep.

* * *

The next morning, Marinette's chest feels achy and sore, and when she tries to put on her favorite tanktop, it won't fit.

She pulls it off and stares at it in confusion. "Why won't it fit? I haven't grown any taller since last summer."

Tikki giggles. "Marinette, I think you're having a little growth spurt of your own!"

She hides as Sabine enters the room, having heard Marinette's loud complaining.

"Is something wrong, honey?"

"Maman, my shirt won't fit!"

Sabine smiles. "Ah, mon petit chou, it looks like you're finally becoming a woman!"

"Mamaaaaaaaan, no! I'll have to alter all my clothes!"

"It's nothing to be worried about, Marinette. Everyone has to grow up eventually!"

Marinette frowns at the mirror. She's always been aware on some level that her curves would begin to show up eventually, but now that they finally are, she's not ready. She's always been a beanpole, and she likes it that way.

She's finally beginning to understand how Adrien is feeling. And she doesn't like it.

* * *

The next afternoon, Adrien sends Marinette another series of texts. It appears that his father also shot up in height at the age of 15, and he anticipated his son's sudden growth spurt, and has even had special clothes tailored to fit Adrien's new physique.

That night, they laugh together over another Facetime conversation at how ridiculous it all is, and Marinette shares a tip from her father on how Adrien can manage the leg pain, which he takes gratefully—because even though Gabriel seems to be acutely aware of his son's physical attributes, Adrien hesitates to ask him for any sort of advice on anything.

The rest of the two weeks fly by at the speed of light, following the same pattern: texting constantly during the day, followed by a long Facetime conversation at night, even falling asleep over the phone together several times. Each time, Tikki and Plagg smile at each other and shake their heads over the screen before hanging up and placing their charges' phones on their bedside tables.

The time flies by so quickly that Marinette doesn't even have time to really think about what it means. She's just having fun living in the moment. So when Adrien finally texts to tell her that he's back in town, she's surprised that two weeks have gone by already.

 **Adrien** : I'm back! Wanna get lunch at the Jardin du Luxembourg?

 **Marinette** : Yes! Meet at 12? I'll bring a basket with goodies from the bakery!

 **Adrien:** Sounds great, see you there. Can't wait for some delicious croissants :)

 **Marinette:** I'll make sure to pack some!

Marinette puts on a sunhat and the light blue halter-neck sundress she's just finished making, runs downstairs to the kitchen and packs a picnic basket with brownies and quiche and croissants, and rushes out the door.

She gets to the gardens a little bit earlier than planned, and she scans the crowds walking by, searching for her sandy-haired and green-eyed _chaton_.

Finally, Marinette sees him. And she's speechless as he approaches, waving his arms and looking at her with that impossibly bright smile that looks just like sunshine personified.

She knew Adrien would be taller. But she didn't realize just how much taller he would be, and even though she knows it's him, her sweet minou, her partner-in-crime and the person she's been talking to nonstop all day and night for the past two weeks…seeing him in person again, looking so different—well, it makes Marinette feel breathless all over again.

"S-s-salut, Adrien! D-did you have a nice trip home?" she says, craning her neck upward to meet his gaze as she stumbles over the words and curses herself for doing so. In his plain but impossibly stylish striped navy blue and white shirt and dark wash jeans, Adrien practically looks like a Greek god, and he doesn't even know it. It's really not fair.

"Yes, I did!" Adrien responds cheerfully, before reaching his arms out and wrapping Marinette in a tight hug. He stiffens almost immediately and looks down, turning beet red as he does so.

Marinette is confused by this turn of events until she realizes what the problem is.

It's her damn chest. It's in the way.

She immediately steps back, embarrassed and flushing pink.

"Uh, so yeah…you're not the only one who had a growth spurt over the past two weeks!"

Adrien coughs and somehow manages to turn even redder than before, and Plagg's irritated but droll voice meanders out of his bag.

"Get over yourself, kid. I know she's gorgeous, but stop drooling."


	2. where we go from here

There is nothing in this moment that Adrien would like more than for an earthquake to split the space between him and Marinette and bury him in the ground, except maybe getting struck by a bolt of lightning, or run over by a pack of angry rhinos.

Anything would be better than watching Marinette's face grow stricken and aghast as Plagg reveals all of Adrien's inner thoughts to her until Tikki scolds him and he finally stops talking, though he's still snickering wickedly from inside the bag.

For once, Adrien really wishes he had a piece of cheese he could stuff in the kwami's mouth.

If that's not bad enough, Adrien can't stop thinking about how Marinette felt in his arms when he reached out to hug her.

 _Squishier_ is the word that Adrien's mind immediately supplies, but he rejects it. Softer—rounder…more…womanly?

He doesn't know how to deal with it.

Is he even allowed to think that way about someone who's just his friend?

But they're more than friends…aren't they?

He's not sure. He's not sure what they are, exactly.

He's not sure if Marinette knows that he's been in love with Ladybug for the past year and a half, and that he started having a little crush on her about six months ago without even knowing she was the girl behind the mask.

She hasn't said anything at least, so he doubts that she knows—or that she feels the same way. So Adrien sure as hell doesn't want to confess all of these awkward feelings to his friend and ruin whatever it is they have now, because they're in a pretty good place.

For now, feeling free to text Marinette whenever he needs to talk to someone, Facetiming her at night…it's a little bit more than friendship and a little bit less than what Adrien really wants, but he'll take it. It's more than he's ever had with anyone else before, and he's grateful for it.

Sure, he still fantasizes about what it would be like to kiss Marinette and he has about fifteen different date ideas stored away on his phone for future reference, but he doesn't want to make her uncomfortable.

 _Focus_. Adrien needs to focus on Marinette and pay attention to what she's saying. He's invited her to have a picnic with him. She's wearing a nice blue sundress. She probably designed it herself. He should tell her how nice it looks.

….has she always been that small? She seems more pocket sized than before. Her hands look so delicate, and he's dying to lace his fingers through hers…

 _FOCUS, ADRIEN. FOCUS._

He forces himself to clear his throat and meet her gaze. To his surprise, Marinette's expression is shifting to one that looks almost…amused? It's the kind of look he's seen her give to starstruck civilian admirers of Ladybug.

He's never seen her turn it on him before. He's not quite sure how he feels about it.

"So…what's new?" she says, waving her hands. "Aside from what we've been talking about."

So she's just going to blow past the awkward moment like it never happened. Adrien can work with that.

"Not much, really. I haven't had much time to myself since we got back. But I keep bumping into things. I've never been this way—"

"What, clumsy?" asks Marinette with a chuckle. "Yeah, that's always been more my thing. I fall over at least twice a day. But you also have to remember that you practically grew an entire foot in two weeks! Of course it's going to take you a little while to get used to all of the changes."

"I know. I'm just—not quite sure what to do with myself."

He sighs and looks down. He's already told Marinette about the splinters of pain shooting up and down his legs at night, and how he's been feeling dizzy and disoriented.

But he's not sure how to explain how he feels like he's taking up space in a way that he never has before, how he's hungry all the time and he feels like he can't control himself, and it's a little scary, and he's losing perspective. Everything's changing, and nothing is staying the same.

And then he feels Marinette's hands gripping his wrist. Her fingers are soft and warm, like little sunbeams. He turns to look at her face again, his pulse suddenly racing a little faster.

"Hey, let's eat. Quiche tastes better when it's still warm, and I bet you're hungry after such a long trip back home," she says with a kind smile.

Adrien smiles back. His lady knows him too well.

Over lunch, Marinette tells him that Alya's just left for Martinique to visit her family for a week, and that Nino's going to a DJ competition in Spain, so they're both alone in Paris for the weekend. They make plans to see a movie on Saturday, and when they finally part ways an hour later, Adrien's glad that he's finally starting to get the chance to hang out with her in person on a regular basis, outside of school and superhero duty.

Life is and continues to be confusing, but Marinette is the one constant who's always there, and he's excited to spend some downtime with her.

* * *

When Adrien gets home in the evening, Nathalie is waiting for him at the dining table, tapping her heels impatiently on the polished floor. Adrien immediately notices that her face is even more pinched and tight than usual, which probably means that his father made a sudden change in his schedule again and Nathalie is scrambling to keep up.

"Ah, Adrien, you're back," says Nathalie. "Your father wanted me to let you know that you have another sportswear photoshoot scheduled for this weekend."

"Thanks, Nathalie," says Adrien. "What studio is it at?"

Nathalie sighs. "That's the other thing I have to tell you. The photoshoot is not at a studio—it's at a mountain resort in Megève. Gerard will be ready to pick you up at 8:00 am sharp tomorrow morning."

"In Megève? That's a six hour drive! Why aren't we flying?"

"Gerard has just been diagnosed with vertigo, which prohibits him from flying, and as you know, your father will not allow you to travel anywhere without your bodyguard. Therefore, you will be driving."

"Fine," says Adrien, grumbling.

He drudges up the stairs to his room with a sigh. So much for going to the cinema with Marinette. He thought that now that they were finally on their summer holidays that he would finally get a chance to spend more time with his friends and get to know them better, but he should have known that his father would keep all of his free time booked. He pulls out his phone to share the bad news with Marinette.

 **Adrien:** Can't go to the cinema with you on Saturday anymore :(

 **Marinette** : I was just about to text you to say the same thing actually—reschedule for next week?

 **Adrien** : Sure. What are your new plans? I have to go on a 6 hour roadtrip with the Gorilla tomorrow to get to a photoshoot. Really looking forward to it (not)

 **Marinette** : 6 hour roadtrip? Why aren't you just flying? Doesn't your father have like fifteen private jets?

 **Adrien** : Long story. Anyways, at least Megève is pretty!

 **Marinette** : Wait…you're going to Megève? So am I!

 **Adrien:** No way!

 **Marinette** : Yeah, my parents made the cake for a wedding that's going to be at one of the resorts! The couple was super sweet and invited them to be guests as well, so they're taking the cake in person and I'm coming along

 **Adrien** : Wow, I'm jealous…cake and parties sound a lot more fun than a photoshoot tbh

 **Marinette** : Yeah, well, the wedding bus is picking us up tomorrow at like 6am, and I hate getting up early, so don't be too jealous

 **Adrien** : Yikes. Point taken. At least we're not leaving till 8

 **Marinette** : Guess I should get to bed then

 **Adrien** : Already? It's only 7pm!

 **Marinette** : Hahaha I know…it's the only way I'm gonna be able to get up in time to leave

 **Adrien** : Wow. And here I thought I was a heavy sleeper. Anyway, rest well, and safe travels tomorrow! Maybe we'll see each other in Megève :)

 **Marinette** : Very funny. And yes, that would be awesome :) Good night!

 **Adrien** : Sweet dreams!

He considers adding "My Lady" to the end to the text. He decides against it. She'd probably think it's weird, especially since he's noticed that she hasn't called him minou or chaton or any of her other nicknames for him lately.

To be honest, he kind of misses it.

* * *

The next morning, Adrien's alarm goes off at 6:30am. Or at least, he thinks it's his alarm.

He pulls his phone off his bedside table to turn it off, bleary-eyed, before realizing that it's not his alarm. Someone's calling him.

But it's not just anyone. It's Marinette.

His eyes widen and all traces of sleepiness leave him as adrenaline floods his body. He yanks the phone off the charger and immediately picks it up.

"Marinette? Is everything okay? Why are you calling me at 6:30am?!"

" _Imissedthebus_ ," she whispers, her words garbling together in a rapid torrent that's hard to understand.

But Adrien is pretty sure he got the message. Still, he asks her to repeat herself, just to make sure.

"I'm sorry, can you say that again—"

"I MISSED THE BUS!" she repeats, shouting this time, while Tikki tries to calm her down in the background.

"Okay, Marinette, calm down. We can figure out a solution to this. Hold on, I'm switching to Facetime."

"NO—!" shrieks Marinette, but Adrien's already sent the request, and when it connects, he sees Tikki's panicked face filling the screen before she shifts away to reveal Marinette still in her pajamas, hair loose and wild, dark circles around her eyes.

"Okay. First of all, Marinette, deep breaths. And then tell me what happened. How did you miss the bus?"

Marinette spends a few minutes collecting herself before she finally starts explaining what went down. She ended up going to sleep past midnight because she spent more time than expected adding finishing touches and making alterations to the dress she was planning to wear to the wedding.

When her alarm went off in the morning, both her parents came up to wake her up and remind her to go downstairs, but they were both preoccupied by making sure the cake and other desserts for the wedding were packed properly and ready to go, so when they got on the bus, they saw another girl that looked similar to Marinette sleeping in the back, and thought that she had gotten on the bus before them. And in their rush to make sure that all of the baked goods were in order, it didn't occur to either of them to double check if the sleeping girl was actually their daughter or not until they were already on the motorway, and by that point, it was already too late to turn around and return to get Marinette.

"I know this is a huge favor to ask…but can I please come with you? I understand if you can't, but I just thought maybe—"

"Yes. Of course you can come with me! Marinette, I'd do anything for you, and we're going to the same place. It's just the Gorilla and me in the car anyway, so there's definitely room for you in the car."

"Oh, _thank god_. Thank you so much, Adrien, you're the best!"

"Don't worry about it. We'll be there to pick you up at 8:30."

"Thank you, Adrien, I don't know how to repay you!"

"Hey, that's what friends are for!" he replies with a wink, letting his gaze linger for a few moments on his friend's bluebell eyes, filled with relief, before disconnecting the call.

He leans back against his bedframe and sighs as Plagg floats up beside him.

"Now _what was that_ , monsieur? _I'd do anything for you?"_

"Oh, come on, Plagg, you know how I feel about her."

"Yes, I know exactly how you feel. And so in addition to reminding you to pack extra cheese for me, I'm going to remind you that you're about to spend the next six hours alone in a car with the girl of your dreams. Not to mention that judging from the amount of luggage Nathalie has set out in the hallway, there's not going to be much legroom for either of you. So things are going to be pretty cozy. Are you ready for that?"

Adrien scowls at the kwami, but he knows that he has a point. He doesn't know whether he feels more excited, nervous, or anxious.

But ultimately, it doesn't really matter. It's happening whether he's ready for it or not.

* * *

When the Gorilla pulls up in front of the bakery an hour and a half later, Marinette is already standing outside with her suitcase, looking as calm and collected as a sunny June day.

In her pale pink shorts and stylish kelly green blouse, her hair gathered into a loose side-pony, Marinette looks like she could be a model herself, with no outward sign of her inner turmoil or the fact that she was panicking just a short while ago.

Adrien marvels at her ability to collect herself and get ready so quickly, but perhaps he shouldn't be. She is Ladybug, after all. She can handle almost any situation, even oversleeping.

She waves as the Gorilla parks the car and Adrien steps out.

" _Salut_ , Adrien! Thanks so much again for letting me come with you!"

"I'm happy to be of service!" says Adrien with a bow as Marinette giggles. The gesture seems larger and splashier now that he's taller, more sweeping and elegant—though he can tell she finds it as silly as she always has.

He turns to look at Marinette's gigantic magenta suitcase, which is emblazoned with one large red heart on the front. Despite the loud colors, his eyes focus in on the huge sticker stuck right in the middle. It's a black cat with bright green eyes, and Marinette turns bright pink as soon as she realizes Adrien is looking right at it, and what he must be thinking.

"I didn't know you had a thing for black cats, Marinette. That's very interesting," he comments in a serious tone.

"That—I—um—Alya put that on there as a joke!" she stammers, as Adrien breaks into the wide and toothy grin he usually only reserves for when he's wearing the mask.

He's been looking for a sign that his feelings aren't crazy, and he's finally got one. There's something not quite platonic in the air between them, and he's dying to tease it out.

Still, that's easier said than done, as Adrien quickly realizes within minutes of sitting inside the car right next to her. For whatever reason, the Gorilla has piled all the luggage on one side of the car, so Marinette and Adrien are sitting right next to each other, their legs and arms and torsos pressed together, with barely any room to breathe.

It's hardly the first time they've been in a position like this. But it becomes immediately apparent to Adrien that sitting like this with one's partner for thirty seconds during battle and sitting like this for hours—even minutes—at a time, is an entirely different experience.

Particularly when said partner is a) very attractive, b) suddenly has very soft and round edges in places she used to be hard and angular, and c) is wearing a light and floral perfume that seems designed to make him blush from head to toe every time he breathes it in.

Adrien is starting to think that maybe Plagg was right. He's not ready for this.

But then he watches the early morning sunbeams filter through the car windows and light up Marinette's face in a way that makes it look like she's glowing, and it occurs to him that maybe that's okay.

He doesn't have to be _ready_ for the right moment. He just has to be _there_. After all, faint heart never won fair lady.


	3. new places and tiny spaces

Adrien is stiff.

There's no other way to describe the way he's sitting. Every time Marinette looks over at him, he looks like he's holding his breath, and he startles like a young fawn every time she starts talking to him.

He's been like this for the past hour and a half, ever since the Gorilla had to brake hard and Marinette fell sideways into his lap, her head hitting his stomach and her hands flying between his legs.

She managed to get up quickly, regaining composure remarkably quickly—Alya would be proud—but since then, the two of them have spent most of it sitting in silence like tightly wound springs, in between brief naps that are more like tense half-awake power naps and less like relaxing.

Marinette marvels at the change. It's almost like he's become _her_ , like they've switched roles. As she sees him blush, she's filled with an entirely new kind of feeling: a mildly perverse sort of glee at the fact that _Adrien Agreste_ has suddenly turned into a shy kitten in the presence of her, Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

It almost feels like a new power that she's been granted, but one she has to be careful with.

She decides to test it out, and tentatively reaches her hand over to touch his shoulder.

He jumps.

"Y-yes?" he asks, stumbling over the word.

She bites back a laugh. "Are you okay? You seem a little uncomfortable."

Adrien blinks at her for a few moments, eyes wide. Marinette has no idea what's happening, but something changes in those few seconds of eye contact, and the air is suddenly electric.

A mischievous glitter enters his eyes, and then he smiles like a Cheshire cat, and Marinette realizes all at once that Adrien isn't the one who's in over his head.

It's her, and she's falling, falling, _falling._

Adrien might be nervous because she fell headfirst into his lap, but apparently all it takes is one little smile for Marinette to become a blubbering mess again. So much for power.

"I'm fine, I'm just worried about you," he replies, so smoothly that Marinette is completely taken aback.

She blinks. "What?"

"I'm just worried you're falling _fur_ me. Since you were in my _purrsonal_ space and all."

 _No._ He is not. He is _not_ pulling out the puns. He is not doing this.

"You've got to be kidding me," she says, flatly.

"I'm not _kitten_ at all!" he says.

Marinette stares at him in silence before shaking her head.

"No."

Adrien grins wickedly. "Oh man, no need to be so short with me. I'm sure you can make jokes as good as mine if you try. It's not out of reach."

" _Really_?"

Great. Now that Adrien's a literal giant, he's going to start pulling out the short people jokes in addition to the cat puns. Mari can't believe she ever thought that Adrien's sense of humor might improve over time.

"I guess it's a good thing you're travel sized, otherwise you might not have fit in the car with all of the luggage."

She never would have thought it would have gotten worse.

The worst part is this: deep down inside, Marinette actually thinks it's kind of...hot.

She wants to punch her hormones for ruining her sense of humor.

"Adrien—"

"I refuse to be cut short."

Marinette's never been very good at coming up with verbal comebacks. She has to plan this sort of thing. So she sighs and responds with the only thing that she can think of:

"Okay, tall person."

Adrien flips his hair. "Don't you mean tall _purrson_?"

Marinette doesn't know who she is anymore.

Why is she finding these horrible puns attractive?

She really wants to wipe that smirk off his face with a kiss. That would show him.

Adrien stops joking and shrinks back against the window again, nervous again due to her lack of response. It's clear he's worried that he's taken it too far.

Marinette holds his gaze and looks at his lips.

He looks at her lips.

She starts to lean in, and he mirrors her movement—and then the car lurches forward and the Gorilla brakes hard and the car shudders to a stop.

They both startle away from each other, blushing furiously.

The Gorilla looks back at them through the rearview mirror and jerks his head towards the door.

Marinette turns to Adrien, confused. "What's going on?"

"He wants us to get out of the car," translates Adrien.

"Oh. Okay."

They slide out the door and watch as the Gorilla opens up the hood of the car. Something's clearly gone wrong with the engine, and after five minutes of poking around, the Gorilla pulls out his phone and walks down the road.

Marinette wonders whom he's calling. They're in the middle of nowhere, about a half mile from a tiny medieval village, judging from the road sign they've parked beside.

In between traffic jams and now this, they're already falling behind schedule on this trip, and she's starting to get hungry. She's sure Adrien is as well. The boy's got an appetite the size of America as it is, and it's probably expanded along with his height.

Maybe once the Gorilla gets back, they can ask him to take a lunch break.

But there's nothing to do in the meantime, so she leans against the side of the car and hands Tikki a cookie while Adrien gives Plagg some popcorn. At least the kwamis can satisfy their hunger while they wait.

Marinette tries not to think about what just happened in the car.

She almost kissed Adrien. And then it didn't happen.

But then again, maybe that's a good thing. She's not exactly interested in having an audience for her first kiss with the boy of her dreams, especially not an audience of three.

The kwamis hide as the Gorilla returns with a grim look on his face.

"We're not moving. The nearest mechanic lives two hours away from here, and he's out on a call. We will have to stay here for the afternoon."

Adrien and Marinette exchange looks of awe. This is the first time either has actually heard the Gorilla speak to them, instead of grunting or simply gesturing. His voice is surprisingly…smooth. He sounds like someone who could do voiceovers for television commercials.

Adrien turns to look at Marinette, concerned. "Are you going to miss the wedding? I know we're already running late. Maybe you should call your parents and let them know."

Marinette pulls out her phone and quickly notices a problem. She waves it in his face.

"No signal."

Adrien's expression shifts from mild concern to genuine worry. "Oh no. Are you sure your parents will be fine? It's been hours since you last checked in on them. I'm sure they're worried about you."

Marinette laughs. "As long as I'm with you? I think they'll be fine."

She looks at his blanched face and pauses. "Buuut…I guess we could go into town and ask if we could use one of the phones in the store? And then we can have lunch!"

She looks over at the Gorilla for confirmation. She's still not quite sure how to read the large and silent man, but it is pretty clear that he cares for Adrien, despite his reticent and formal exterior.

He nods, so Marinette shrugs and starts walking quickly down the dirt path that leads into the village, followed by Adrien.

* * *

The air is heavy and muggy, and it's a little hard to breathe.

A few minutes later, Marinette hears Adrien panting, and turns around with surprise. He's stopped walking, and he's a few paces behind her, bent over with his hands on his knees, sweat dripping down his face.

She runs back to him. "Adrien, are you okay? What's wrong?!"

"I'm fine, I'm fine! It's just…you walk really fast. I'm having a bit of trouble keeping up."

Marinette's surprised. "But you have longer legs than me."

Adrien laughs. "Do you have any idea how fast you walk?"

"Sounds like someone can't keep up. Maybe you should think twice about making another short joke," says Marinette with a smirk.

Adrien shakes his head and grins. "That will never happen."

Marinette sighs. "Somehow, I knew you would say that."

"You know me too well, my la—Marinette."

* * *

By the time they get into town, they're both starving, and they immediately walk into the first boulangerie they see near the town square to buy a few baguettes before hopping into the tiniest grocery store they've ever seen. Adrien picks up some cheese and apples while Marinette goes up to the counter to ask if she can use their landline, and she updates her parents on the situation.

They're sad that she can't make it to the afternoon activities, but they're glad she's safe and with Adrien, and even though she can't see their faces through the phone, Marinette can tell from the smug tone of their voices that they're both quite pleased that their daughter is on a solo road trip with Adrien Agreste.

She's not surprised. Neither of them has ever been that subtle about their fondness for him. She is glad, however, that Adrien is not looking at her at this very moment, for she is flushing pink and gripping the phone cord with an intensity that has the cashier mildly alarmed.

Plagg is disappointed to see that the grocery store does not have any Camembert in stock, and sulkily accepts the Abondance that Adrien buys for him instead.

They walk back out and sit on a bench in the town square, eating their lunch and watching the crowds walk by. It's a sleepy little medieval village, and most of the people walking by are clearly locals, curious about the newcomers.

Normally, Marinette would be annoyed by the way the passersby are staring at them, but she's not surprised. Adrien is practically radiating sunlight, and she doubts that anyone in this no-name village has ever seen someone so attractive, especially someone who's constantly posing without even trying.

For his part, Adrien doesn't seem to even be aware of the people staring at him. He's completely absorbed by the meal, clearly enjoying every bite, even though it's a simple meal of bread, cheese, and apples.

He relishes eating his meals like Marinette relishes looking at beautiful dresses made of silk and pearls, and she can't help but smile at his content expression.

After they're done eating, Marinette and Adrien spend some time meandering through the cobblestone streets of the village before walking back to the car. Unfortunately, the Gorilla has bad news to share. The mechanic can't come till tomorrow morning, and even if someone comes from Megève or Paris to pick them up, it's going to take them several hours.

So they're staying here for the night.

* * *

After a few more hours of wandering about the village (not that there's much to do), they walk with the Gorilla into the only inn in town, a rickety old building that looks like it's about to fall apart.

The receptionist is yawning, clearly exhausted from the muggy July weather. She sits up straight as the Gorilla marches in and asks for two rooms.

"I'm sorry, but there's only one available room."

"That's fine. These two can take it. I'll sleep in the car. There's plenty of room there, and I need to meet a mechanic in the morning anyway."

The receptionist's eyes widen with panic as the Gorilla walks out of the lobby. "But sir, there's only one—!"

"Don't worry, _madame,_ we know there's only one room," says Adrien, placing a reassuring hand on the receptionist's shoulder.

Marinette smiles. Adrien's always trying to make people feel comfortable around the Gorila, who can come across as intimidating, even though he means well (most of the time).

"It's not just that, young man," responds the receptionist. "There's only one bed."

"Oh," says Adrien, blanching.

 _Oh, no._

"Is there a chair or a couch in the room?" asks Marinette, trying to rally.

"Yes, there is," responds the receptionist. "There is a small chair in the corner of the room. It's not very big though," she cautions.

"Well then, that's settled!" Marinette says cheerfully, grabbing the room key from the desk and batting off Adrien's protests. "Come on, Adrien, let's go upstairs and let this nice receptionist get some rest."

"But—!"

"Come on, Adrien. Let's go upstairs. We can work this out."

She's lying, of course. She has no idea what's going to happen when they get upstairs.

* * *

They ascend the stairs in nervous silence, afraid of what to expect.

Marinette warily opens the door with the key and scans the room. It's as tiny as she had feared it would be, with a twin-sized bed that could be more accurately described as doll-sized, and a skinny little loveseat by the window.

There's barely space to breathe for one person, let alone two, and the air is tense and uncertain as they shuffle inside with their suitcases.

Marinette decides she needs to take control over the situation before it gets out of hand.

"Okay, so. I'm taking the sofa. You can take the bed."

Adrien shakes his head. "No."

"What do you mean, no? You can't sleep on the couch. It's tiny!"

Adrien walks up to the couch and stands in front of it, blocking her way—a stubborn, adamant wall of resistance.

"I'm a cat, remember? I'm used to curling up into small spaces. I can fit on the chair. You take the bed."

He is an infuriating tower of politeness. Normally, Marinette loves this quality about him. But right now, she wants to punch him in the chest for letting it get in the way of common sense.

"Adrien, don't be ridiculous. You have to look good for your photoshoot. There's actual money involved in this. Take the bed. I can sleep in the chair."

"But what about you? You have to look good for the wedding. I'm not going to let you look like a wreck tomorrow. It's already my fault that you're going to miss all the pre-wedding activities."

Why is he such a gentleman? And why is he so stubborn?

"Adrien, I'm not even _in_ the wedding! I'm not even a guest! I'm just tagging along with my parents. And it's not the first time I've slept in a chair before."

"You're going to get cramped up if you do that. I'm not allowing you to. You're taking the bed."

"Okay, let's not talk about getting cramped up. I'm not the one who's a giant here! Have you forgotten how tall you are now? If anyone needs space to stretch out, it's you!"

Plagg flies out of Adrien's bag and sighs. "Can I interrupt for a minute? As cute as the two of you are, dancing around all of this, I'm just going to mention the elephant in the room. The best option is for both of you to share the bed."

"Plagg, it's twin sized!" protests Tikki. "How can they possibly fit?"

Plagg shrugs. "Simple. Marinette can sleep on top of him."


	4. what do we call this

Marinette emits a noise that could best be described as a high pitched squeak at Plagg's suggestion, and Adrien wants to die a little bit inside because it's _so damn cute_ and he cannot be thinking thoughts like these if he's going to be sharing a room—and possibly a bed—with her for the next eight hours.

He manages to contain his overwhelming feelings with a muted whimper as he watches Marinette shoot over to her suitcase to pull out her pajamas and toothbrush.

Adrien does the same as Tikki flies out of Marinette's purse to berate the other kwami.

"Plagg, they are HUMANS," hisses Tikki.

"I know! That's why I'm suggesting it. Do you know how much time I've spent over the past two years listening to this boy moan over—"

"WELL I THINK IT'S A GREAT TIME TO BRUSH OUR TEETH, DON'T YOU, MARINETTE?"

Marinette startles at Adrien's sudden shouting, but it's the only way he can keep her from hearing the terrible, mortifying things that his kwami is saying right now.

"Uh, sure!" She holds up her pajamas as Tikki zooms back up beside her, though she's still making faces at Plagg. "Do you mind if I go in and change first?"

Adrien shakes his head. "Go ahead."

He sighs as she closes the door. This is not exactly how he planned for this trip to go.

Adrien changes into his pajamas, a Jagged Stone t-shirt that used to be too big for him, but now fits perfectly, and a loose pair of shorts, and thinks about how differently he thought the day would have gone. Ideally, the trip to Megève would have gone down without a hitch and Marinette would be with her parents right now, enjoying herself at the wedding festivities.

They would have perhaps run into each other a few times over the weekend, and if they were lucky, perhaps even have a nice picnic by one of the mountain lakes.

Of course, all of this could still happen. But it all depends on how Adrien handles the next few hours. He's just made progress with being Marinette's friend over the past two weeks. He doesn't want to undo all the good things that have happened just because they have no choice but to go through the awkward experience of sharing a twin sized bed for the next eight hours.

There is the fact that he's starting to be pretty sure that Marinette does feel the same way about him that he feels about her, but he's not going to ruin things. Unexpected pit stops at tiny medieval villages are not a good place to make love confessions. At least, it's not the way Adrien's dreamed about confessing to his lady.

And anyway, even if she does want to kiss him like he wants to kiss her, he doesn't want the first time to be in some rickety hotel while they're stuck sharing space in a tiny room with the air conditioner blasting.

Adrien daydreams about the perfect moment to confess his feelings to Marinette, when suddenly he is brought crashing back down to earth as thoughts of the worst possible thing that could possibly happen surge into his mind: waking up with a case of morning wood pressing into Marinette while she's sleeping on top of him.

It is the most horrifying thought that has ever entered Adrien's mind, and what makes it even worse is that it could actually happen.

Actually, it's not even horrifying. It's mortifying, and he wants to die at the very thought.

Marinette will be too disgusted to speak to him again if it happens.

Their friendship will be history.

The chance for romance, a broken dream.

Adrien needs to prevent this from being a possibility.

He shuffles through his suitcase for the tightest possible pants to wear to bed instead of the loose shorts he has on now, but then he wonders if that would even do anything. And then he spots long piece of cloth in the bottom of the bag and pulls it out. Maybe he can wrap it around himself.

Marinette comes back out of the bathroom wearing the cutest pajamas Adrien has ever seen, pale pink linen bottoms with cherry blossoms all over them and a neon blue tank top that looks hand stitched. They look as soft as she does, and just as comfortable.

She smiles cheerfully. "I'm done! You can go in and brush your teeth now."

He doesn't get a chance to say anything about Marinette's pajamas though, as her eyes zero in on the piece of cloth in his hand.

Wait…what is that?"

"Um…"

She stares back and forth between the piece of cloth and Adrien for a few seconds, and he groans as he watches her start to make the mental connections and she realizes what exactly he is trying to do. She turns bright red and her mouth forms into a little o as she squeaks again.

Tikki comes to the rescue as Adrien starts melting into a puddle on the ground.

"Adrien, why don't you go brush your teeth? I have something I want to talk to Marinette about."

He nods silently and walks into the bathroom, clutching his toothbrush so tightly he's afraid it might break. He puts the toothpaste on the brush and starts brushing, moving slowly and methodically, trying to stay calm. He has no idea what Marinette must be thinking right now, or what he's going to say to her when he goes back out into the room.

A few moments later, he hears Marinette tapping on the door.

"Hey, Adrien? I want to talk to you about something when you come out, all right?"

He opens the door while he's still brushing, and nods as forces himself to meet her gaze. He doesn't have to make this as awkward as it feels. He can do this. He tries to focus in on something else, and once again, he notices her pajamas.

Adrien wants to compliment them, but he wonders if that would be weird. It wouldn't be the first time he's complimented her clothing choices—she is, after all, the most fashionable girl he knows—but isn't it a bit different when it's pajamas?

Then again, maybe it isn't. Maybe he's confusing that with lingerie. And then his mind immediately supplies a gorgeous image of Marinette wearing pink lingerie, and he chokes on his toothpaste.

"Are you okay?!" Marinette asks, for what is probably the millionth time today. Adrien doesn't know how to tell her what the real problem is without making things even more embarrassing for both of them, so he just nods.

Marinette stares at him, skeptical, while he washes out the toothpaste and splashes cold water on his face.

"I know you're hiding something," she announces. "Spit it out."

Normally Adrien loves it when Marinette pulls out her inner Ladybug. Right now, however, is not one of those times.

"It's nothing, I promise," he says, even though he sounds unconvincing even to his own ears.

"Adrien. Please don't do whatever you were planning to do with that cloth out there."

"Are…you sure?" Adrien replies, hesitant.

"Whatever it is, I'm sure it'll be fine. We're partners. We've been in close quarters before. No pressure. Personal space has never been an issue between us before, right? We can get past this. It's just one night."

Adrien sighs. It's obvious that Marinette's got her Ladybug hat on right now, thinking practically instead of emotionally, and what she's saying right now is easier said than done.

"You're right. We can do this. It's nothing we can't handle! I can stay in control."

He's lying through his teeth. Right now, he's more aware of everything about Marinette than he has ever been in his entire life, and it's killing him a little bit inside. He has no idea how he's going to stay in control if she's going to be sleeping on top of him. He can't do this.

"Look," says Marinette. "I know what Plagg said, but we don't have to do that. We can each take one side of the bed. It'll be a tight squeeze, but we can make it work. I'll make a pillow fence. How does that sound?"

"Sounds great," responds Adrien, nodding in agreement, though he's already making plans to sleep on the couch. He knows what Plagg and Marinette have said, but this is the only way he can be sane about it.

* * *

Adrien tries to sneak towards the couch, but then he sees that Plagg is already sitting there, parked right in the middle with his teeth bared in an evil little grin.

It's clear that he has already anticipated Adrien's every move.

Adrien sighs. He should have known Plagg would do this.

If he even tries to sit down on the couch now, Plagg will bite his bum.

And there's no point in trying and removing the irritating little kwami from his comfortable little position, because if there are any particularly irritating catlike traits that Plagg possesses in spades, it's the ability to prevent anyone from moving him from somewhere he wants to sit.

Adrien wants to wipe that smug little smirk off his tiny face. But he knows he can't, so defeated, he shuffles toward the bed instead.

Marinette flutters near the edge, trying to create a pillow fence so that they can each have their own side of the bed while Tikki floats beside her. The kwami whispers something into her ear and Marinette nods, flushing slightly, before turning back to Adrien.

"Um, the pillows are ready. Are you ready to go to sleep?"

Adrien gulps. "Ready" is not exactly what he's feeling right now, but he has no place to move but forward, so he gingerly sits on the bed, trying to move as gently as possible.

The mattress squeaks loudly as he settles in and Marinette makes a face.

"Sorry!" exclaims Adrien.

Marinette laughs. "It's not you! It's the sound. That's horrible."

"Yeah."

"Yeah…so…I guess we should turn the lights off, right?"

"We should."

"Don't worry about that, you two," says Tikki cheerfully. "I can take care of that."

She flies up to the light switch and turns it off before settling into her makeshift bed inside Marinette's purse.

* * *

Adrien tries to get comfortable in the tiny bed, but his legs are cramped and far too long, and the pillows are so thin that he can still feel every curve of Marinette's body through the fabric. From the tense way she's holding herself, it's clear that she feels the same way.

Even though it's the middle of summer, the air conditioner is on full blast, and within a few minutes, Marinette's shivering underneath the duvet.

Adrien frowns and moves closer to the pillow fence, hoping that he can radiate some body heat through the fabric.

Marinette stiffens as she feels him shifting closer, and Adrien shrinks back again.

"I—I'm so sorry!" he stammers. "I just thought—you seemed cold…and I'm warm. I thought maybe I could help—!"

Marinette starts shaking, and Adrien sits bolt upright, terrified. Is she crying? Did he make her cry? He curses himself for being a monster and fears that he's destroyed their friendship forever as he looks fearfully over the pillow fence, horrified at the potential damage he's caused—

She's not crying. She's…she's giggling.

Adrien stares at her back before sliding back and lying down again.

"What's so funny?" he says, utterly confused.

"Adrien, relax," she says, her voice a calm summer breeze. "Go to sleep."

Adrien tries to settle down and scoots back up to the side of the pillow fence, and he feels her back snuggling against the pillows, humming contentedly.

"Thanks for being so warm, Adrien," she murmurs.

In the darkness, he finds courage to ask the question that's always been on the tip of his tongue for the past few days, but he hasn't been able to.

"Marinette?"

"Yes?"

"Can I ask you something? You don't have to answer it if you feel uncomfortable."

"Of course. Anything."

Adrien breathes in.

"Why did you stop calling me _chaton_ and _minou_?"

Silence from Marinette, and a wave of anxiety quickly floods through Adrien, a burning rush that settles in his stomach, churning as the seconds tick by like molasses.

"I don't know," she says slowly. "I guess…I guess I was confused. About how I knew Chat Noir, but I barely knew you, Adrien Agreste. It just felt a little strange, to be so familiar with you all of a sudden."

Adrien nods. "I understand. We were never close friends."

He feels her shifting around, and suddenly, she pokes her head above the pillow fence and smiles at him.

"But I'd say we are now, wouldn't you?"

Adrien smiles.

"Would you like me to call you by your nicknames again?" she says with a little smirk.

Adrien's about to answer when she shoots an arm over the pillow fence and places a finger over his lips to stop him.

"No need to answer that. I can tell from your eyes that the answer is yes."

She moves her arm back over the pillow fence and curls back onto her side.

"You can call me 'my lady' again if you want to," she adds. "And bugaboo. I like that one."

"What about _princesse_?"

"Don't push your luck, _minou_."

"Okay, my lady. _Bonne nuit_."

" _Bonne nuit_."

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Adrien's still wide awake and staring at the ceiling, though he can tell from Marinette's steady breathing that he's the only one.

Or so he thinks.

" _Mon chaton_ , go to sleep," comes a sleepy murmur from the other side of the fence as Adrien shifts around, restless, his mind racing with thoughts of everything that's happened over the past few hours.

And though his body currently feels like it's made entirely of nerve endings, he's ecstatic at once again being on the same page as his lady, so he tries.


	5. when there was me and you

Marinette is dreaming of wild and pretty things.

Of running hand in hand with Adrien, of dancing through meadows, of falling down and rolling through fields of lavender and running her fingers through his hair before diving in for a kiss, of the feeling of his hands pressed against the small of her back, his fingers resting gently on her skin.

The sky darkens from a brilliant sky blue to a metallic steel gray, and the rain starts to fall down. Adrien's eyes are the most intense shade of green she's ever seen, an ocean she would be happy to dive into forever…and she's falling, falling, _falling_. As their lips touch again and again, a bolt of lightning strikes and a thunderclap echoes across the sky—

And she wakes up. There really is a thunderstorm outside, and the windows are rattling.

It's a fierce summer thunderstorm, the rain pouring down like thick ropes beating against the windows as the wind howls.

Adrien is sleeping restlessly; he seems disturbed by the noises outside and whatever visions he's seeing in his dreams. Whatever they are, they clearly aren't pleasant, and Marinette watches, perturbed, as he squeezes his arms around one of the pillows from the pillow fence, knuckles clenched tight and tears silently streaming down his face.

Adrien has told Marinette about the growing pains he's been feeling at night, but hearing about it and seeing it are two entirely different things.

She wishes there was something she could do to help the pain, but he's not awake and she's not sure if it would be a good idea to wake him up.

Marinette recalls something Chat Noir said a few weeks before they discovered each other's identities, when they were on a night patrol during a particularly stormy night, hiding together underneath an awning while they waited for the rain that had caught them by surprise to slow down.

"Did you know I used to be afraid of thunderstorms when I was younger?"

"Chat Noir, an actual scaredy-cat? Say it isn't so," she'd responded flippantly.

"A long time ago, of course," he'd shot back. "I'm not scared of them anymore."

She'd noticed how his eyes twitched a little bit, but she thought nothing of it.

She knows now that he was lying.

Marinette's brows furrow together in concern. She can't see her kitty cat tossing and turning like this and not do anything.

She reaches her arm over the remaining section of the pillow fence and softly taps his shoulder. "Adrien? Adrien, wake up."

Adrien murmurs something unintelligible and curls into a tighter ball, still shivering as a loud series of thunderclaps rocks through the room.

She's not getting through.

Marinette shifts closer and leans closer to his face.

"Come on, _mon chaton_ , get up. You're having a bad dream."

At the sound of her voice, Adrien stops shifting around, but he's still crying and quietly keening, his lips turned downward and slightly open.

Marinette realizes there's nothing she can do but take direct action. She feels none of the nervousness she would normally feel being so close to him—she's simply filled with the urge to take away all of Adrien's hurt, to absorb all of the pain.

She tosses the remaining pillow separating them onto the ground and tugs the pillow Adrien is clutching away from him.

Suddenly empty of what they were holding before, Adrien waves his arms aimlessly in the air, and Marinette moves into the empty space on top of his chest. She gently shifts him onto his back and holds back a gasp as his arms fall onto her back, his fingers resting on her spine.

Despite the freezing temperature of the room, Adrien's forehead is damp and warm with sweat, and she tries to cool it down, placing the back of her left hand against it.

" _Mon minou_ ," she murmurs into his ear, stroking his hair. "Come back to me. It's just a bad dream. It's just a thunderstorm. I'm here. You're going to be okay. We're going to be okay."

Marinette doesn't even realize she's been holding her breath until Adrien's arms fall back by his side, and he starts breathing steady once more, until another thunderclap sets him shaking again.

Marinette sighs as she realizes that his sleep is shallow and restless, and he won't truly get any rest until he can sleep more deeply.

She wonders what else she could possibly do to make things better, if there's anything more she can do or say to help. But she's at a loss for what kind of action to take, when she suddenly remembers yet another conversation she had with Adrien during an akuma battle, one that took place near the beginning of their journey together as superheroes.

It had been while they were fighting an akuma who was a disgruntled nanny who couldn't get her charges to sleep, whose only power consisted of the ability to sing a traditional French lullaby that would immediately put anyone who heard it to sleep.

By that point, Ladybug was aware that Chat Noir liked to play video games and watch anime in his spare time—one of which was Pokémon—so she had fully expected him to have a series of puns related to Jigglypuff ready to throw around all over the place.

What she had not expected was for him to be furious at the akuma for specifically singing _Au Clair de La Lune_.

"Couldn't she sing any other lullaby?" he'd grumbled. "Why did it have to be this one?"

She'd laughed. "What, you don't like The Nanny's dulcet tones?"

"It's not that," he'd replied, oddly serious. "That's the lullaby my mother used to sing to me at night when I was younger. It's—it's a special memory for me."

"Oh," Ladybug had said, chastened. "I—I didn't know."

He'd turned a brilliant smile on her then, the widest grin she'd ever seen on his face, and said, "Don't worry about it. Come on, let's go cage this out of tune canary," and that had been the end of it.

She had been surprised by the sudden tonal shift in Chat Noir's voice—the emotional whiplash, and she felt like she didn't know him at all.

It was when they had just started doing night patrols too, and she was still getting to know him.

His revelation hung like a sword between them during the night patrol that followed that battle, a personal detail that she wasn't quite sure what to do with, and she had wondered if Chat had regretted sharing it with her.

So as they sat together in silence on one of the beams of the Eiffel Tower, surveying the silent Parisian night, she did the only thing she could think of to deal with the strange tension in the air: softly singing _Au Clair de La Lune_.

Chat Noir had turned to her with a surprised and thankful smile. He immediately understood what she was trying to do, and he was grateful.

Looking back on it now, Marinette is pretty sure that was the main turning point for them, when she started shifting from being mere partners with Chat Noir to truly becoming his friend.

And now they're at yet another crossroads, one that requires a different kind of courage than anything they've done before. But she can't think of that now. Right now, she's just going to be there for her best friend, and she starts to sing.

Halfway through the lullaby, Adrien starts breathing steady again, and Marinette yawns as she realizes that she's exhausted as well, and she hums the rest of the tune before trailing off.

It's the middle of the night and she's slowly falling asleep, so she barely registers the fact that Adrien's arms have found their way around her in a tight embrace.

Half awake, Marinette instinctively snuggles into his chest, her head nestled in the crook of his neck, comforted by his warm and steady breathing.

And as Adrien turns to rest his head against hers, she swears she can feel his lips pressing against her hair and curving up into a smile.


	6. isn't it good

Adrien is not a morning person.

He wasn't always like this. When he was an enthusiastic young child and his mother was there to wake him up in the morning with a kiss on the forehead and a stroke of his hair, he was happy to greet the day.

Nowadays, getting up in the morning entails a harsh phone alarm designed to remove all traces of sleep (developed especially for Adrien by Nathalie's computer programmer brother), followed by a loud DING! as Nathalie sends him a message with the latest changes to his schedule. This is usually immediately followed by the sharp stink of camembert as Plagg lets out a yawn, right next to his nose.

Needless to say, Adrien has stopped looking forward to waking up.

But today, for the first time in a long time, he feels comfortable again. No alarm, no camembert, no rush…he can feel the sunrays filtering in through the window, but he's in the middle of a sweet early morning dream, and in no hurry to wake up.

It's a beautiful dream, one where he's lying on the grass in the sunshine, with Marinette cuddling next to him, her hair fanning across her bare shoulders and tickling Adrien's arms as the breeze blows the stray locks onto his skin.

And then Adrien opens his eyes, and he realizes slowly, and then all at once, that this is no dream.

Marinette _is_ lying on top of him, and their legs are tangled together.

She is sleeping on top of him, breathing peacefully, her head tucked into the crook of his neck and her hands curled into little fists resting against his chest.

The love of his life is on top of him.

 ** _There is a girl on top of him._**

How did this happen? There was a pillow fort. Wasn't there a pillow fort? What happened to the pillow fort?!

Adrien hears a soft snicker coming from the chair, and slides his gaze over to see Plagg, grinning smugly as he nibbles on the leftover cheese from yesterday's lunch.

Adrien turns away from the evil little kwami and tries to focus on the situation at hand. This was probably an accident. The pillows must have fallen down while they were asleep. He's not sure how that happened, considering the pillows were _between_ them, but maybe Marinette is a restless sleeper. Maybe _he_ is a restless sleeper. And after all, the bed is tiny. Maybe it's not that surprising.

Anything is possible.

It occurs to Adrien that he should probably go brush his teeth. He doubts that Marinette wants to wake up breathing in his morning breath. Not that his morning breath is terrible (though his only point of comparison is Plagg), but he doesn't want to risk it.

He tries to move carefully so he doesn't wake Marinette up, but as he tries to move away, it's almost like she can sense his slow burning panic, and she clings to his shirt, burrowing into his chest, as though she's trying to absorb it.

She's so soft and warm, and Adrien's brain turns to mush.

Adrien . exe has stopped functioning.

He is not processing anything except the fact that his lady is clinging to his chest, curling in close to his face, so close that he can count every freckle on her nose...

He raises an arm to stroke her hair, but then Marinette starts to open her eyes, her impossibly long eyelashes rising upward. Adrien drops his arm back down to his side and feels his pulse start to race as her cerulean eyes delicately flutter open.

Her gaze is unfocused and languid at first, comfortable and sleepy, like she's still in a cozy dream, and she murmurs something unintelligible before her mouth widens into a tiny yawn, cute pink lips formed into a perfect oval.

Adrien waits with anxious trepidation as clarity hits her like a bolt of lightning, and she immediately stiffens as she realizes the position she's lying in.

Marinette looks up to meet Adrien's gaze in a panic, before her eyes widen and she looks back down at her legs, which are lying in between his legs, next to an unmistakable bulge in his shorts.

Adrien's stomach drops into hell as he looks down and realizes that it's happened. The very thing he was dreading would happen has happened.

Adrien Agreste has a case of morning wood, and it's pressing up through the thin fabric of his shorts up against Marinette's bare legs.

They both stare at his boner in horrified silence, motionless in their agony.

Adrien tries to think of something to say, anything, _some_ sort of apology…but all he can think of is _puns._

He tries to stop himself from saying anything, but some perverse spirit takes over his mouth, and he can't help himself from saying it:

"So…what's up?"

Marinette emits something between a squeak and a shriek as she leaps up and falls off the bed, hitting the ground with a loud thud that makes Adrien wince.

"Are you okay?!"

Marinette nods, though her eyes are still focused between his legs, and Adrien feels like punching himself but he _just can't stop_.

"I'm glad to hear that, because I'm feeling a little stiff myself."

Marinette's staring at him now, her expression shifting from shock and horror to one that somehow manages to combine amusement with mild irritation.

"Are we really having this conversation right now?"

"Oh, Marinette. You have no idea. You've only just touched the tip of the iceberg."

"I'm going to kill you," she mutters, low and deadly.

"I don't know, Mari, are you sure you can rise to the occasion?"

Adrien gulps as Marinette's eyes narrow with fury and turn pure black.

He knows he shouldn't have combined a short joke with a boner pun.

He's going to die.

She grabs the pillows on the ground and stands up, rushing towards Adrien with a scream.

"NO! BAD KITTY!"

He bursts into laughter as she beats him with the pillows and chases him around the tiny room as he tries to escape until Tikki flies up and tells her to stop, even though by that point the pillows are nothing more than tattered fabric and shredded cotton lining.

* * *

After the dust settles, Marinette realizes with horror that she's probably caused a significant amount of damage to the room, but Adrien reassures her that he can pay for anything that's gone wrong.

"I'm so sorry," she says. "I don't know what came over me!"

Adrien laughs. "Are you sure?"

Marinette sticks out her tongue. "This is why you need to get a better sense of humor. Who knows what I'll do next because of your bad puns?"

Adrien shrugs. "I don't know, but I'm guessing it could be _catastrophic_."

Marinette scowls up at him and points her index finger at his face.

" _Youuuu_ ," she snarls, before Tikki dives in between them and rescues Adrien and the room from further damage.

"Marinette, why don't you go take a shower? We don't want to be late to meet Monsieur Gerard!"

Marinette sighs and turns to the helpful little kwami, who's looking back and forth between the two teenagers with a combination of exasperation and concern.

"You're right, Tikki." She turns back to Adrien, who's watching her with a smirk.

"This isn't over, _mon chaton_. I've got my eyes on you."

Adrien laughs as she points her finger at him again before shutting the bathroom door.

They might just make it after all.

* * *

The Gorilla is waiting for Adrien and Marinette in the lobby as they descend down the stairs with their suitcases. He nods courteously at Marinette's polite hello, and gives her purse an unmistakable once over before turning his gaze to Adrien's bag in a way that makes Adrien wonder again whether his reticent bodyguard knows more about him and Marinette than he lets on.

At any rate, Adrien is ready to get out of this little village and up to Megève. He hadn't been looking forward to this weekend photoshoot at all, but now that he knows Marinette will be staying at the same resort, things seem much brighter.

"Bad thunderstorm last night," comments the Gorilla. "Were you able to sleep, Master Adrien?"

"There was a thunderstorm last night?"

"Yes, Master Adrien. I'm surprised it didn't wake you up. It was quite severe."

Adrien is surprised. For as long as he can remember, he's never been able to sleep well at night if there's a thunderstorm, and he raises his arm to rub the back of his neck as he tries to recall the events of the night.

But all he can remember is feeling clouds of comfort.

"Honestly, I can't remember the last time I slept so well."

For some reason, after he says that, Marinette flushes bright pink and starts coughing.

"Are you okay, Marinette?" he asks, concerned.

"Yes, I'm fine," she responds. "Just…thinking about something that happened last night."

Oh no. Did he do something wrong while he was asleep? He must have done something wrong.

And here he thought the boner was the worst thing that could have possibly happened (though that ended up having a happier ending than he could have possibly anticipated, courtesy of his propensity for punning)

"Did I make it hard for you to sleep?" he asks, hesitant and nervous.

Marinette shakes her head with a soft laugh. "Not at all. Don't worry about it."

As they slide into the car again, she starts to hum a tune that sounds oddly familiar, though Adrien can't quite place it—like something he heard once upon a dream.


	7. what are we

For all the time they spent traveling the day before, it only takes the Gorilla a little over an hour and a half to finally arrive at Les Fermes de Marie, the mountain resort where the Montmorency-Poitiers wedding is being held, as well as the launch dinner of the new Agreste sportswear line—followed by Adrien's grueling daylong outdoor photoshoot the following day.

The resort is gorgeous, but Adrien and Marinette barely have a moment to take in the beauty together before they have to scatter—Tom and Sabine come rushing towards Marinette as soon as they find out that she's arrived, and Adrien doesn't even get a moment to say bye before Nathalie arrives out of nowhere and overwhelms him with rapid-fire updates on all the changes that have been made to his schedule due to the delay.

Still, even as Adrien is being dragged away by Nathalie and Marinette is walking away with her parents in the opposite direction, the two of them still find a moment to turn around, just for a second, to exchange a smile.

* * *

The Montmorency-Poitiers wedding reception is being held in the resort's Terrace and Gardens, and with the rustic background and gorgeous lighting, it looks like something out of a fairytale.

Tom and Sabine are dressed to the nines, dressed in formalwear Marinette has especially designed for them, and she feels unbelievably proud as she watches them walk into the Terrace, arms intertwined and eyes shining, Tom in his sharp dark grey suit with navy accents, and Sabine looking stunning in a floor-length silver gown.

Celine Montmorency and Pierre Poitiers are easily among the highest profile clients they have ever had, but thanks to Marinette's careful styling and their easy grace, they fit right into the socialite crowd—though their bright smiles and enthusiasm easily distinguish them from the others.

Marinette is no less than a princess herself tonight, wearing a midnight blue halter neck dress, hundreds of sparkling crystal rhinestones scattered across the fabric and shimmering like a starry night sky. Her hair is swept up into a graceful bun, pinned back with a large silver hairclip shaped like a star. With her crimson lips and winged eyeliner, Marinette is incredibly striking, and she knows it.

Still, as the mountain breeze tickles her bare neck and the wedding guests congregate on the dance floor, there's only one person Marinette wishes could see her right now.

Even though it's the wedding reception of her dreams, with all of the guests dressed in fashion to die for, it doesn't take long for Marinette to decide that she's unbelievably bored.

She wants to go out on the dance floor, but she doesn't know any of the other guests her age (she isn't, after all, an official guest).

Marinette wonders what Adrien is doing at this very moment. He'd told her on the way in that he was going to be at a launch dinner in the fancy restaurant at the other end of the resort, and she's sure he must be as bored as she is.

She's going to find out.

She pulls out her phone.

* * *

 **Marinette** : This wedding is gorgeous, but I'm so bored!

 **Adrien** : So am I. The director of the board is giving a really dull speech and we haven't even eaten yet

 **Marinette** : Poor kitty

 **Adrien** : How about you? Have you eaten yet?

 **Marinette** : Silly minou, always thinking about your stomach. But yes, we already ate

 **Marinette** : There's still some nice stuff at the dessert table though. I would know, since I helped make it

 **Adrien** : I'm a hungry cat, what can I say?

 **Adrien** : ….you helped make it?

 **Marinette** : Of course! I always help my parents on big orders, and I really wanted to help with this one

 **Adrien** : Ah, I see

 **Marinette** : Oh my god

 **Marinette:** You want some, don't you

 **Marinette:** Admit it

 **Adrien** : Yes

 **Adrien** : This is the most boring company dinner I've ever been to

 **Adrien** : And I've been to a lot

 **Adrien** : Nobody is even talking to me

 **Adrien** : Rescue me, Buginette

 **Adrien** : Only you can save me

 **Marinette** : The reception is at the Terrace

 **Marinette:** I'll save you some treats if you join me on the dance floor

 **Marinette:** I am not dancing alone

 **Adrien** : I'll be there in five minutes

* * *

Marinette smiles and shakes her head. If there's anything she's learned over the past few years, it's that Adrien is always willing to drop everything for good food. Especially when it comes to her parents' pastries and desserts.

She waits by the entrance to the terrace, daydreaming about slow dancing with him while a romantic song plays, or jamming to a rock song (though it seems unlikely that Celine and Pierre are the kind to play Jagged Stone at their wedding reception).

Marinette wonders what Adrien's wearing; he's sure to be dressed up—for something as fancy as a collection launch, he must be wearing something from the RTW line, at least.

She imagines Adrien in a variety of formal menswear, a pleasant little mental fashion show. A small smile hovers about her lips and she clasps her hands together in anticipation for his arrival, when a clammy hand on her shoulder rudely interrupts her reverie.

Marinette jumps and turns around to see a well-dressed young man standing behind her, and she is immediately irritated by the arrogant look on his face.

"Can I help you?" she asks, her tone sharp and curt.

"Dance with me," he replies, holding out an arm, curving his thin lips into a smile that he clearly believes is seductive.

"I'm sorry, but I'm waiting for my friend," she replies.

"Why waste your time standing around for her to arrive? Come dance with me until she gets here," he commands.

Marinette scowls. " _He_ will be here in a few minutes, and I already said no. Please leave me alone."

"Come on, _ma princesse_ , don't be like that—"

Adrien arrives at this very moment, just as Marinette's eyes are turning black with fury at being called the nickname that only her chaton has permission to use.

He looks back and forth between the two of them before locking gazes with Marinette and immediately realizing that he needs to get her out of there before she punches the hapless young man in the face.

He offers an arm that she immediately latches onto, and they quickly walk away, Marinette practically barreling her way through the other guests as she leads Adrien towards the buffet and dessert tables.

At the dessert table, Marinette finally gets a chance to admire Adrien's suit as he admires the fancy wedding cake and pastries Tom and Sabine have made for the reception.

In her rush to get away from the pushy stranger, she hasn't had a chance to properly look at her friend, which is probably a good thing, because _he looks amazing._

Adrien is wearing a clean-cut single-breasted three piece suit in a deep shade of blue that looks almost indigo and a silvery waistcoat, and Marinette blushes as she realizes that it complements her dress perfectly.

Every part of the suit is tailored to fit Adrien just right, and somehow, along with his perfect posture, it makes him seem even taller than before—even though Marinette's wearing three-inch heels, she still has to crane her neck upwards to meet his gaze.

Maybe it's because of their hundreds of nonverbal conversations, but Adrien immediately seems to realize that Marinette's eyes are on him, and he turns around to look at her with a questioning look in his eyes before he seems to suddenly register something, turning a very interesting shade of beet red as he begins to cough.

"Mon chaton, are you okay? Do you need me to get you some water?"

Adrien turns his head away and looks down on the ground. "No—no, I'm fine. I just—never mind."

Marinette looks at him quizzically as he slowly turns his gaze at her once more.

"You look—you look really nice tonight."

"So do you," says Marinette with a small smile.

A fast song starts playing over the speakers, and she grins. "Let's go dance!"

"But—what about the treats? That is why I'm here, after all. Like you said, I'm a hungry cat."

Marinette grins. "Let me tell you a secret. My parents saved some in the fridge for us. You can have some of those later. These have been out here for ages anyway."

Adrien's eyes light up. "Really?"

"Really. Now let's go dance before this song ends!"

Marinette grabs one of Adrien's (large, bony, attractive as ever) hands and leads him to a corner of the dance floor, where they dance like fools, laughing so hard that their sides start hurting and Marinette's bun is beginning to come loose, when the song suddenly ends and a slow, romantic ballad comes on.

They immediately stop laughing, the air between them suddenly tense with an unspoken electricity. Slowly, Marinette starts to raise her arms up to Adrien's shoulders as he moves his hands to enclose her waist, when a wheedling, nasally and commanding voice interrupts them.

"Hey there, gorgeous. How about letting me have that dance? Since I see your friend's finally here now."

Marinette whirls in a fury to see the irritating stranger from before, standing in front of them with a smug grin.

"We. Are. Busy," she practically snarls at him, as Adrien turns to him with a frown.

The young man laughs, and it's a condescending and mocking sound that makes it hard for even Adrien, who's a master of concealing his true emotions, to keep a straight face.

"That can't be true. I'm Jacques Montmorency! Everyone is interested in me. Don't play hard to get, honey. I'm already yours. I know who you are—you're the daughter of those bakers who made my sister's wedding cake, aren't you?"

"Yes," says Marinette, short and unfriendly.

"Dance with me and I can make sure they'll get more commissions from families like ours. Your parents will have more money than they'll know what to do with."

" _Excuse me_?"

Adrien places a calming hand on Marinette's shoulder, but she's still seething with rage.

"I'm sorry, but she's not interested," says Adrien.

Jacques raises an eyebrow. "And who are you to her, anyway?"

"I—I'm—" Adrien stammers. He's not quite sure what he is. He was hoping to figure that out soon.

"He's my boyfriend," cuts in Marinette smoothly. "And we'd like you to leave us alone right now."

"Your boyfriend?" He looks back and forth between them. "Since when? I don't buy it."

Marinette scowls. "Well, that's none of your business, is it?"

She turns to look at Adrien. "Let's go, minou. We should find a more private place to talk."

As they walk away, Jacques follows after them. "I still don't believe you! And what's the big deal, anyway? It's just one dance!"

Marinette sighs and looks up at Adrien as they try to walk faster, without attracting the attention of the other guests.

"He's not going to leave us alone, is he?"

Adrien frowns. "It doesn't look like it. Do you want me to tell security?"

"Don't bother. He's the brother of the bride. They won't do anything."

"What should we do then?"

"I have a crazy idea. We don't have to do it if you feel uncomfortable with it—it's just something I thought of just now."

"None of your ideas are crazy, my lady. Well, most of them aren't. Please tell me this one doesn't involve you jumping inside the mouth of a dinosaur."

"Don't be silly, mon chaton. Do you see any dinosaurs here?"

"You never know. There could be one around the corner. Anyway—what's your plan?"

"We can pretend to kiss in front of him. It would give him the proof he's looking for. And since you're tall, our lips don't even have to touch if you don't want to, you can just lean down and make it look like they are. Your back can be to him, so he doesn't see what's actually happening."

Adrien's eyes widen and he flushes pink. "That's—that's a bold plan. But if you're really okay with it, I'll do it for you, my lady."

"Great. Let's do it."

Normally, Marinette would melt into a puddle at a moment like this. But right now she's in Ladybug mode, and not thinking about the emotional consequences at all.

As Jacques rounds the corner to catch up with them, she quickly grabs Adrien's collar and pulls him down to meet her, stopping a millimeter from her lips. But then she looks right into his eyes, which are filled with fondness and affection and caring—and her determination melts into uncertainty.

She shouldn't be doing this. She's taking advantage of his kindness and the feelings she knows he feels for her, and she would be lying to herself if she didn't admit that a fake kiss like this would be an easy way of getting what she wants without any of the emotional responsibility.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have suggested this—we don't have to do this—" she whispers, her voice strained and nervous with guilt.

Adrien smiles and slightly shakes his head in a movement that's almost imperceptible before he closes the distance between them.

His kiss feels light but firm, like a moonbeam falling upon her skin, and Marinette barely registers Jacques's disappointed groans as he finally stomps away and leaves them alone.

* * *

Marinette peers intently into Adrien's eyes, seeking answers.

"That kiss wasn't fake."

Adrien nods.

"It was real. And—" he hesitates. "So are my feelings for you."

Marinette's soul leaps into the sky. She's felt it for weeks now, that their hearts are in sync, that both of their pulses race at the speed of light every time their eyes meet—but to actually hear him say it out loud feels like a dream.

"I feel the same way," she says, lacing her fingers through his and squeezing them lightly as she looks up to meet his gaze with a bright smile.

The smile he responds with could light up entire galaxies, desperately enamored and breathless as he squeezes back.

Marinette's never seen Adrien look this happy before, and she wishes she could tell him about all the ways he touches her heart right now.

"So, Adrien Agreste, I like you. And you like me too."

"More than you could imagine," he breathes.

She frowns. "Hawk Moth is still out there. You know that us being together as more than partners might be dangerous."

"I'm willing to take the risk if you are," replies Adrien, serious and tender.

Marinette cocks her head sideways, suddenly playful. "Okay...but you've got to take me on three dates before we make it official. Since third time's a charm, and all that."

Adrien's eyes sparkle with a mixture of mischievous mirth and pure, unadulterated joy. "Deal. So does this count as Date #1? You did invite me here."

Marinette grins. A fancy wedding reception at a garden terrace in a fancy mountain resort isn't exactly the worst place in the world for her to tell her grandchildren where her first date with their grandfather was.

So she nods and says, "Okay."

Adrien grins as he realizes something. "So...does that mean Ladybug and Chat Noir are dating too?"

Marinette smirks. "You just want to keep flirting with me during battles, don't you?"

"Maybe a little bit."

"But I know what you're asking. Should we be dating in the public eye? I don't know. I mean, half of Paris thinks we already are. We'd just be fueling the fire. I can see the headlines now: **_Ooh La La,_** **_Superheroes in Lov_** **e** ** _!_** "

"Well, they wouldn't be _lying_ ," says Adrien, wiggling his eyebrows as Marinette giggles.

"Actually...can I ask you something?" he asks.

"What is it?"

"I've kind of been wanting to do this for a while—but you know how we do a fist bump after every battle?"

Marinette's surprised. She wasn't expecting the conversation to go like this.

"Yes, what about it?"

"I..um...I was wondering if next time we could maybe kiss instead, after we say bien joué? That is, of course, if you're okay with it—just once—"

"Let's do it!" says Marinette, grinning broadly.

"Wow, um, okay! Is…is there anything you want to do?" Adrien stammers, both delighted and surprised at her ready acceptance.

Marinette purses her lips and considers which one of her fantasies would be most acceptable to share at this particular moment, when a loud roar suddenly echoes through the reception area.

"I AM THE HEARTBREAKER, AND I'M HERE TO BREAK SOME HEARTS!"

Marinette groans. She should have known that this night was shaping up to be too good to be true. Of course they're getting interrupted right when things are finally going the way she's always dreamed they would. And of course the villain is the loser who just doesn't know how to accept rejection from a girl.

"Hold that thought, mon chaton. Looks like we're gonna get to your wish a little sooner than I thought."

* * *

Nathalie and the Gorilla come running into the Terrace searching for Adrien, both of them wearing identical panicked looks on their faces, until they find their charge standing next to Marinette.

"Adrien, stay with Gerard," commands Nathalie. "I will manage the guests."

She runs off and Adrien and Marinette stand next to the Gorilla in an awkward and tense silence, wanting to run off, but knowing that neither of them can match his physical strength unless they're transformed.

The Gorilla rolls his eyes. "Go on then," he says, waving his arms. "Find a corner and do whatever it is you do with those strange creatures of yours."

Adrien gapes at him, jaw on the ground. "You know?"

At this, the Gorilla grins, and it's mildly terrifying to see such a merry look on his face.

"Of course I know, Master Adrien."

Adrien and Marinette stare at him, eyes as wide as saucers.

"I do have one request before you run off to save the day. Please try not to dent any of the clients' limousines this time. I really don't want to spend two hours on the phone with the insurance company discussing unnecessary claims like I did the last time you fought an akuma during an Agreste company event."

Marinette frowns. "Why would you have to fight off insurance claims? Lucky Charm restores all damage that's done during an akuma battle!"

"Try explaining that to an angry businessman who's convinced that magical teenagers have scratched his favorite sports car."

"I—we'll—keep that in mind?" responds Adrien, bemused.

The Gorilla laughs. "Good. Now go be heroes."


	8. dear, i fear we're facing a problem

As Marinette and Adrien run to find a corner to transform in, Tikki and Plagg fly out of their hiding spots in Marinette's purse and Adrien's jacket pocket and exchange nervous glances.

"What? What is it?" asks Marinette. "What's with the weird expressions?"

"It's just…Marinette, you haven't transformed since you had your growth spurt," says Tikki, with a frown.

"And neither have you, kid," adds Plagg. "Basically, we just want to warn you that things might not go as planned tonight."

"What is that supposed to mean?" asks Adrien, brows furrowed. "Why didn't you explain this to us earlier? We could have practiced."

Plagg shrugs. "We were on holiday! I didn't think an akuma would show up until we got back to Paris. Why bother making the effort?"

He sighs. "We were having such a good run, too."

Tikki interjects. "Usually, we talk to our chosens and make modifications to the suit based on their individual physical changes, but as you both know, we haven't had the chance to do that yet, for either of you. So I'm a little worried!"

Marinette frowns. "Is it really going to be that bad? We're running out of time—Adrien and I need to get back in there as soon as possible or the wedding will really be ruined. The Heartbreaker doesn't seem like a very patient akuma."

Tikki tries to shake her head reassuringly. "No, no—not necessarily! Um…let's just see how it goes for now?"

Marinette and Adrien shrug.

"Let's go for it then!" shouts Adrien as Marinette nods.

" _Transforme-moi!_ " they yell in unison, and Plagg and Tikki gulp before diving into the ring and the earrings.

Everything seems fine and dandy at first…until they start moving.

As Ladybug pulls out her yo-yo, Chat Noir pulls out his baton and tries to leap, but immediately keels over onto Ladybug and knocks her over.

"Ow!"

"I'm so sorry! I—I think I've lost my center of balance—this hasn't happened since I first got my Miraculous. And I haven't been back to fencing practice in at least a month either."

Ladybug rubs her arm and frowns. "I think it's because you're so much taller now, you have to reorient yourself. I don't think you're going to have time to figure this out. Maybe we should just run there instead?"

Chat Noir nods. "Good idea. It's not that far from here anyway."

He gets up and extends an arm to Ladybug to help her up. But as they start rushing back towards the reception area, she suddenly makes a face and stops running.

Chat Noir, who is several paces ahead, realizes that she's stopped moving and runs back to her. "What's wrong? Is everything okay?"

"It…it hurts to run," says Ladybug, grimacing.

Chat Noir furrows his eyebrows. "Did you twist your ankle? Do your legs hurt? Should I carry you?"

She flushes underneath the mask and groans.

"Uh…no…it has nothing to do with my legs at all, actually."

"What do you mean?"

"What I'm trying to say is that there's no support in my suit. Not even a sports bra."

"Um…"

"I'm jiggling, Chat Noir."

Sweat beads form on his temples as he fully processes what she's saying.

"So you mean—it's your—it's your chest that hurts…?"

"Yeah." She looks down and frowns. "How on earth am I supposed to do flips like this? What if I get hit in the face and get a black eye?"

Chat Noir gulps. "I don't think—I mean—they're big but they're not—they're not _that big_ —I—"

Chat Noir stops talking as he hears Plagg's voice echoing through his mind.

 _Kid, quit while you're ahead._

Ladybug stares at her partner for several seconds before looking back down at her chest as a steely expression settles on her face.

"You know what? Screw this. I don't care. I'm going to fight anyway. I don't care if it hurts. I can handle this."

"Are…are you sure?" asks Chat Noir hesitantly, as he backs away and accidentally knocks over a large vase, cringing as it falls over and shatters. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Ladybug shakes her head. "No. But I'm just going to deal with it. Something tells me we won't have to try too hard to capture the Heartbreaker. And maybe—you shouldn't try to use your baton too much either? Until you get control of your limbs again, that is."

Chat Noir snorts. "I don't doubt that. If he's anything like the other high society guys I've met at Père's company events, he's all talk."

* * *

When they arrive back on the scene, it's pretty clear that Chat Noir was right; The Heartbreaker is an akuma whose bark is far worse than his bite.

And even the bark isn't that threatening.

He looks like a mannequin mixed with a caricature of some Greek statue of Eros, chalk white and barefoot with red eyes, wearing a bowtie, cuff links, and a little loincloth.

He's carrying a golden bow and arrow as he runs around, shouting petulantly as his sister stares in dismay at the mess he's making of her wedding reception.

"Where's that baker's daughter? I'm gonna show her how a real man kisses and _break that other dude's face!_ "

When The Heartbreaker finally shoots a bunch of golden arrows at several female guests, the only effect it seems to have is to increase their disgust at his behavior, and they stalk away, scowling at his antics.

Chat Noir stares in disbelief at the sight as Ladybug tries to hold back her laughter.

"I think I liked it better when I was fighting Dislocoeur. At least he was a real threat."

"Probably because you got to kiss me, isn't it?"

Ladybug rolls her eyes. "Don't get cocky, minou."

"Hey, you know you enjoyed it."

"And you didn't even remember it!"

Chat Noir smirks. "Well, I guess you'll have to remind me what it was like then, won't you? Anyway, I think his akuma is in the bowtie."

"Are you sure it's not the cuff links?" says Ladybug, frowning.

"Definitely. He was wearing that before, but he didn't have the cuff links. You didn't notice?"

Chat Noir is surprised. His lady always notices every little detail on an outfit.

Ladybug flushes. "Honestly? I was too busy waiting for you and imagining what you were wearing to pay attention to him."

"Oh—well…wow," he replies, blushing as well, feeling his pulse start to race.

The fact that his lady wants him as much as he wants her still doesn't feel quite real; even though he knows that their feelings are mutual, he's still not sure he's ever going to get used to it—it still almost seems too wonderful to be true.

"But I think you're right," she says. "I think the best way to get him is to distract him—we need to get his attention first, though."

Chat Noir nods, but they don't have to make any moves, as The Heartbreaker finally takes notice of the two heroes standing at the entrance of the reception area and walks up to them with a scowl.

"HEY! BUG QUEEN AND CAT BOY? WHERE'S THAT GIRL?"

Ladybug shrugs and smiles smugly. "I'm afraid Marinette can't come here right now."

"If you don't tell me where she is right now, I'm going to have to take your Miraculouses."

"I'd like to see you try," says Ladybug, narrowing her eyes as she glares up at him, arms akimbo.

" _Why, you little_ —"

As The Heartbreaker lunges for her throat, Chat Noir pounces to the ground.

"CATACLYSM!"

The attack creates a fissure in the marble terrace, shaking the ground and causing The Heartbreaker to lose his balance and fall flat onto his face.

" _You broke my nose!"_ he howls, writhing on the ground. " _My perfect face! How could you?!"_

Ladybug sighs. She's never going to get ahold of the bowtie if The Heartbreaker is rolling around on the ground like a three year old who's just been denied candy at the grocery store.

"Heartbreaker, you're breaking everyone's ears with your shouting, not their hearts. It's time for this little temper tantrum to end. LUCKY CHARM!"

Two mannequins dressed exactly like Marinette and Adrien fall from the sky and land face down on the ground right in front of her.

"What am I supposed to do with these?!" says Ladybug.

"Definitely not what I was expecting," comments Chat Noir, staring at the mannequins with surprise.

Ladybug looks back and forth between the mannequins and The Heartbreaker, when she suddenly realizes what she needs to do. She looks at her partner and he immediately makes the connection as well, and they both run over to the mannequins.

Ladybug lifts up the one that looks like Adrien while Chat Noir lifts up the one that looks like Marinette, and they pose them like they're kissing in a nearby corner.

Ladybug winks at Chat Noir and places both of mannequin Adrien's hands on mannequin Marinette's rather well endowed posterior, earning herself a blush and a cough from her partner before he realizes he can exact revenge, and he moves mannequin Marinette's arms from their chaste position around Adrien's neck to his butt as well, arranging her hands in a rather suggestive position and tousling her hair.

Ladybug sticks out her tongue at Chat Noir before turning back to The Heartbreaker, who is still writing around on the ground, concerned only with his ruined physical appearance.

"Hey Heartbreaker!" she shouts, pointing at the mannequins. "Look, aren't those the two people you were looking for?"

"HOW DARE THEY KISS IN FRONT OF ME? DO THEY KNOW WHO I AM? I'M GOING TO GET THEM!"

The Heartbreaker gets up and rushes furiously to tackle the mannequins, blinking in confusion when they fall over as soon as he touches them.

Quickly realizing that he's been fooled, he turns around with a scowl.

" _You tricked me!"_ he shouts, getting ready to tackle Ladybug, when Chat Noir slides behind him and pins his arms behind his back.

"I don't think so," he whispers into the villain's ear. "Game over, Heartbreaker."

Despite his desperate writhing, it's clear that The Heartbreaker is no match for Chat Noir's strength, and he hangs his head as Ladybug approaches him with a grin and undoes his bowtie, ripping it up and releasing the akuma inside.

In a flash of light, everything is back to normal, and a sheepish Jacques Montmorency slinks off like a spurned tomcat, trying to avoid his older sister, who is furious at her little brother for making such a scene at her wedding reception, and all for a girl he doesn't even know.

* * *

After severely scolding Jacques and sending him to his hotel room like a disobedient child, Celine and Pierre approach Ladybug and Chat Noir with grateful smiles.

Celine reaches out to Ladybug and grasps her hands. "Thank you so much for saving our wedding reception—you don't know how much it means to us! Jacques has always been a bit of a wild child, but we never imagined that he would have lost control like this. We are so thankful that both of you came here in time."

Pierre turns to Chat Noir. "How did you know to come here, anyway?"

Chat Noir looks at Ladybug, who nods at him with a smile.

He turns back to Pierre.

"No matter where we are in France, if our citizens are in danger, we will be there!"

* * *

As Celine and Pierre walk away, a fashionable looking man in a tight shirt and jeans enters the reception area, and Ladybug immediately notices Chat Noir tensing up and trying to hide behind her.

She bites back a laugh; at 6'2, her silly kitty is more a foot taller than her at this point, and he wouldn't be able to hide even if he tried—not only is he super tall, he practically radiates handsomeness like a Greek god, and even though she's pretty sure he's stopped noticing when people are ogling him, she certainly hasn't missed the dazzled expressions on the faces of many of the wedding guests who have been watching the two of them. Her partner might be a black cat, but he would need an actual eclipse to hide the sunshine he radiates.

At 5'1, Ladybug cannot be that eclipse.

"Why are you trying to hide from that man?" she asks, trying unsuccessfully to hold back giggles. "Do you need me to get rid of him?"

"That's Giuseppe, he's my photographer for the photoshoot tomorrow—I don't want him to see me!"

"Mon chaton, I doubt he would recognize you. You look completely different when you're transformed."

"No, no, that's not it—he's always looking for ways to jazz up the photoshoots. He's the one who always insists on adding props or posing me with sexy female models. I'm afraid he's going to ask 'Chat Noir' to join him on set tomorrow, and you know I can't do that."

"Oh."

"Actually, I think you should hide too—something tells me that he would really like you…"

"Uh oh," says Ladybug, interrupting, as Giuseppe's gaze falls upon them.

"What is it?" whispers Chat Noir.

"I think he's noticed us. You wanna get out of here? We're about to detransform, anyway."

"My lady, I thought you would never ask."

Chat Noir leaps into the darkness, accidentally knocking over yet another vase as he moves, but just as Ladybug pulls out her yo-yo to make her own escape, the photographer calls to her.

"Ladybug, wait! I just have one question for you, please!"

"I'm sorry, but I don't have much time—"

"It will take but a moment, I promise!"

"Okay, quickly though. You have thirty seconds."

"I am here to shoot Gabriel Agreste's new summer line—you must be familiar with the face of the line, his son, Adrien Agreste."

"Yes, why?"

"We are shooting the sportswear line tomorrow, but none of the girls I have found match with his looks or his physique. But you, you are _bellissima,_ just what the shoot needs! It won't take long, only a few hours at most, and you will be compensated. Would you consider it, please?"

Ladybug quickly does the mental math and weighs the pros and cons of doing a sporty outdoors photoshoot with Adrien.

On the one hand, she will have to spend several more hours in the suit that clearly doesn't fit her well anymore, and she won't have time to redesign it with Tikki before then—it's already getting quite late, and Adrien has mentioned before that the shoot will start very early in the morning.

On the other hand, she will get to spend several more hours of quality time with Adrien as Ladybug, away from all the responsibilities and eyes that are constantly on them back home in Paris.

Not to mention the fact that she's realized by now that her minou has a thing for her when she's wearing the suit.

Ultimately, the pros outweigh the cons, and she says yes.

Ladybug smiles as Giuseppe walks away, practically dancing with glee at his photographic conquest. She's pretty sure that she made the photographer's night, and even though she knows her silly kitty isn't fond of the man, she's still happy to be able to do one nice thing for a civilian tonight that doesn't involve akumas or battles.

Adrien walks back out of the darkness. "Well, looks like someone's on their way to becoming France's next top model! How do you feel, Mademoiselle Ladybug? Excited about spending all day in the sun?"

In a flash of light, Ladybug's transformation wears off, and Marinette is left standing in the darkness, her midnight blue gown sparkling in the moonlight.

A fond smile spreads across her face as she gazes up at her not so petit minou and reaches for his hands, lacing her fingers through his.

"Well, I don't know if I'm excited to spend all day in the sun, but I do know I'm excited to spend the entire day with you."

Adrien beams. "Me too."


	9. no degree of hesitation

Marinette's about to head back to the reception area to find her parents and tell them that she's okay when Adrien stops her and squeezes her hand.

"Marinette—wait!"

"What is it, _minou_?"

Adrien rubs the back of his neck nervously and coughs.

"I just realized that we—uh…we didn't do a _bien joué_ kiss after defeating the akuma. I mean, I guess there wasn't time, and people would have had questions, but—"

"Oh, _mon chaton_ …I'm so sorry. How about we make up for that right now?" replies Marinette, eyes twinkling mischievously.

Adrien flushes. "I—" he starts, trailing off as she sidles up to him in a little dance of sorts, reaching her arms up to his neck and latching onto his shirt collar before pulling him down to her level.

" _Bien joué, chaton_ ," she whispers into his ear, trailing kisses down his warm and flushed cheek until she reaches his lips. She pauses for a moment to appreciate his breathless and dumbstruck expression before pressing her lips against his, reaching her hands up to cup his cheeks.

It's a short but firm kiss, one that's both confident and proud, filled with promises for the future, a kiss that says _you're mine_ , _all mine,_ and _I'm yours._

Even though it only lasts for a few seconds, it sends shockwaves from Adrien's lips all the way to his toes, and he's pretty sure he would fall over if she weren't holding onto his collar.

Marinette, sensing her partner's state of shock, moves her hands to his shoulders, gripping them tightly.

"Hey, _mon minou_ , don't forget to breathe. You're about to fall down!"

Adrien's eyes refocus on her face, lighting up with mirth as his lips slowly widen into a grin.

"My lady, are you telling me that I'm falling _fur_ you?"

Marinette's eyes narrow into slits and she immediately lets go of his shoulders and steps away, leaving him to stumble forward.

"Don't you _dare_ —"

"I can't help that I've got _felines_ for you, _ma princesse_."

"One more pun, kitty cat, and I will stand you up at that photoshoot tomorrow."

Adrien presses the back of his hand against his forehead with a dramatic sigh.

"Oh noooo! Please don't do that, my lady! I _purromise_ to keep my claws in! Don't _pun_ ish me for these _amewsing_ little jokes."

Marinette rolls her eyes and snorts. "Fine. I'll show up. Just because you're cute, and I like how your butt looks in athletic wear."

"Wait, what?"

"Why do you think I finally signed up for gym class last year? It wasn't to stay in shape," she adds with a wink, before leaning up to kiss him on the cheek again before walking away with a smirk.

Adrien stares after her in a daze.

"See you tomorrow!"

* * *

Close to midnight, Marinette is still awake. Her parents are fast asleep in the next bed, lightly snoring in sync, but she's swimming in a soft green sea, illuminated by the earnest smile of the enamored boy she can now truly call her own.

She slides out of bed and walks over to the window and opens it, letting the cool mountain air rush into the room. It smells like dewdrops and fresh pine, and she's reminded of a cologne ad that Adrien did a few months ago, for a new addition to the Agreste fragrance line with a pullout panel containing the scent.

But that was artificial; this is the real thing, and it smells wonderful.

It's real, just like her friendship with Adrien is real, and the new step that they've taken. Marinette isn't sure where it's going to go, but she can't wait to see where it does.

She yawns and sits down on the window seat, gazing out at the other chalets on the resort grounds. Most are dark, but there are still a few lights on in some of the rooms, like lanterns in the darkness. She smiles at them and wonders about the people inside, if they are young married couples like Celine and Pierre, or older ones like her parents—or families with young children, seeking to escape from the daily rush of city life.

And, of course, she wonders if any of the rooms belong to Adrien.

As the thought crosses her mind, her phone lights up and vibrates.

She smiles as she looks down. It's him.

 _Speak of the devil_.

 **Adrien:** Are you still awake?

 **Marinette:** Yes

 **Adrien:** I can't sleep :(

 **Marinette:** Oh no, are your legs hurting again?

 **Adrien** : A little bit

 **Adrien** : But mostly it's just that my mind is racing

 **Adrien:** I'm too awake to fall asleep

 **Marinette** : Do you want to talk? I could come visit you

 **Marinette:** We are in the same resort

 **Adrien:** A rendezvous in the resort gardens?

 **Adrien:** My lady, how scandalous

 **Adrien** : Tikki is probably asleep though, isn't she?

 **Marinette** : Yes, she is

 **Marinette:** But I can wake her up. She won't mind

 **Adrien:** No, let her rest, it's fine

 **Marinette:** Are you sure? Wanna do Facetime instead?

 **Adrien** : yeah, okay :)

 **Marinette:** Let me go into the hallway, I'll call you in a few minutes

 **Adrien** : okay xx

* * *

Marinette quietly fishes through her purse for her headphones and tiptoes out to the hallway, where she sits on the floor and leans against the wall as she presses call.

Adrien's perfect hair looks wild and untamed as he comes into focus. It's clear that he's been shifting around restlessly in bed, and Marinette tries to laugh as quietly as possible. She wants to reach through the screen and ruffle his hair, but for now, she'll just listen to what he has to say.

"So what do you want to talk about, kitty cat?"

"I was just thinking about tomorrow. I'm excited about spending it with you, but I'm also just…a little worried."

"Why's that?"

"Giuseppe loves making stars out of people."

"Well, I'm already a star," says Marinette, teasing. "But seriously—it's not the first time I've done a photoshoot as Ladybug, you know that."

"It's a little different with him…with female actresses and models, he just—I don't know how to put it. He objectifies them? Basically, Pére likes to hire him for the big shoots because he knows how to turn anyone he turns his lens on into an object of desire, and that's good for the brand."

"And you're worried he's going to do that to me?"

Adrien nods. "Yeah. I just…want you to be careful, okay? Don't let him make you do anything that makes you uncomfortable. Especially since I know you want to redesign your suit."

Marinette strokes the edge of her phone screen, wishing it were his cheek.

"Oh, _mon chaton_ , thanks for worrying about me. I promise I won't let him boss me around."

Adrien smiles. "Okay. I'll try not to worry."

"Good. So what else is on your mind?"

"I was wondering if we knew each other or not."

"What?"

"I mean for tomorrow, in front of Giuseppe. Do Adrien Agreste and Ladybug know each other? Good friends? Mere Acquaintances? Complete strangers?"

Marinette laughs. "What would you prefer?"

"How about…I'm a big fan of yours, but we've never met in person before, and it's love at first sight for both of us?"

Marinette snorts. "You would like that, you big sap."

"So…that's a yes?"

"On a scale of 1-10, how enamored do you want me to be?"

"11 would be good, but I'll take a 7."

"11? Oh, I can do 11," says Marinette, grinning. "Just you wait. We should probably get to bed though…it's getting late. "

"Okay, my lady."

" _Bonne nuit, mon minou_."

" _Bonne nuit_."

They smile at each other for a moment in silence before hanging up, the words _I love you_ hanging in the space between them, unspoken for now.

* * *

It's hard to say who's more impatient for Ladybug to show up to set the following morning: Adrien, or Giuseppe, but when she finally does, both of them walk toward her at the same time.

The two bump heads as they try to shake her hand simultaneously, and Ladybug bursts into giggles as they exchange dirty looks.

Giuseppe harrumphs and steps forward, taking Ladybug's hands and pressing a kiss to her knuckles.

" _Mia bella_ , thank you so much for gracing us with your presence today! I sincerely apologize for the unprofessional greeting—Monsieur Agreste, it seems, is a little too excited about meeting you. He hasn't stopped talking about you all morning."

Adrien interrupts and shoves Giuseppe aside to take Ladybug's hands in his, eyes sparkling with excitement so keen that she can practically see the hearts popping out of them.

"Ladybug! I—I'm so happy to finally meet you! I'm such a big fan!"

He gives her a subtle wink and she bites back a laugh. She hadn't expected him to ham it up quite this much.

Well, she can do that too. She just has to tap into the nervous exhilaration she felt when she first started crushing on him, before he was her best friend and she knew him the way she does now.

She digs deep and finds that deeply lovestruck and nervous girl she used to be inside her heart and looks at Adrien anew, and she's surprised to find that her heart still skips a beat, even though the nervousness at this point is a complete act.

"A-a-adrien Agreste… _you're_ a big fan of _me_?" she squeaks. "I-I-I have posters of you all over my bedroom walls! You're my favorite model!"

Adrien's eyes widen and he flushes pale pink as he raises an arm to rub the back of his neck. "W-wow, really? I have posters of you all over _my_ room!"

Giuseppe looks back and forth with dismay between the two teenagers, who seem to be completely enamored by one another. He hadn't expected this, and he's not going to get anything done if they continue to smile at each other like lovestruck fools.

He clears his throat in an attempt to get their attention.

Both of the teens whip their heads to look at him, irritated at his interruption.

"Well, ah, shall we get started then?" he asks awkwardly, gesturing at his assistants to get ready. "Ladybug, the makeup artists can meet you in the corner over there."

"Thank you, Giuseppe," replies Ladybug. She turns back to Adrien and winks at him before pretending to trip over a light cord and falling into his arms.

"Oh no~ I'm so clumsy!" she cries.

"Don't worry, my lady! I'll always be there to catch you if you fall," replies Adrien gallantly.

"Does that mean you're my hero?" she asks with a sigh, clutching his chest.

Giuseppe groans and walks over to the snack table and chugs a bottle of water, wishing it were a bottle of strong wine instead.

Ladybug watches the bemused photographer walk out of the area to go on a walk to clear his head before turning back to Adrien.

"Do you think we're pushing it too much?" she whispers into his ear. "I mean, you _did_ ask me to dial it up all the way to 11, but I also don't want you to get into trouble. We did come all the way over here so you could do this shoot."

"Maybe a little bit," responds Adrien with a mischievous grin. "Giuseppe has no idea how to handle any of this."

Ladybug smiles. "As fun as this is, we should probably start behaving properly."

"Oh, but _Buginette_ , I like it when you fall into my arms."

Ladybug sticks out her tongue. "Watch it, kitty cat, or I'll make you fall into _my_ arms."

"My lady, you _know_ that's something I dream about."

"Wait, really?"

"I know it's kind of silly, but I've got this little fantasy where you rescue me and take me into your arms and we fly away into the sunset."

Ladybug laughs with surprised delight. She wasn't expecting the conversation to take this turn.

Adrien shrugs and smiles bashfully. "I mean…I used to, anyway. The whole scenario seemed a lot more doable before…you know."

She does know. Before he shot up seven inches and she shot out—well, she hasn't checked—but she knows.

Still, there's nothing Ladybug likes more than a good challenge.

She turns to look up at Adrien, wearing an expression that's both amused and determined at the same time.

"You know, I _can_ still carry you in my arms, even if you are a foot taller than me at this point."

Adrien smiles. "Is that right? I don't know, short stuff."

"Try me," she hisses, arms akimbo.

* * *

And that's why when Giuseppe comes back to set five minutes later, he is treated to the sight of Mademoiselle Ladybug carrying Adrien Agreste in her arms like a damsel in distress, his legs practically dangling on the ground, as he clasps his hands together with glee.

Giuseppe rubs his temples and groans. It's going to be a long day.


	10. stars aligned together

Giuseppe stares with dismay as he actually hears Adrien utter the words "Ladybug, my hero!" as she grins at him with a ten thousand watt smile. The boy looks like a smitten kitten instead of the dashing (single) young man he's supposed to be as the face of the Agreste brand, and Gabriel Agreste will kill him if he doesn't figure out some sort of way to get the boy to give off that vibe again.

Perhaps asking Ladybug to participate in the photoshoot was a mistake. Giuseppe hadn't realized how deep Adrien's passion for the spotted heroine ran, and now he's worried that he's wrecked his own photoshoot.

Until it occurs to him that perhaps he can channel this passion into something more constructive.

He walks over to the smitten pair and coughs loudly to capture their attention once more.

"Ah—well, I see the two of you have gotten well acquainted by now, isn't that right?"

Ladybug winks at Adrien. "Yes indeed. We are good friends now."

"Wonderful, wonderful," murmurs Giuseppe, waving his hands dismissively. "And because you are such good friends now, do you think you can make that come across in a photoshoot?"

Ladybug turns her big blue eyes to the photographer, staring at him innocently while Adrien chokes back his laughter. "Whatever do you mean, monsieur?"

"It's clear that there is an attraction of some sort between the two of you. Can you play it up, make it more flirtatious?"

Ladybug's gaze immediately shifts from one of guileless innocence to shrewd calculation.

"How flirtatious are we talking here?" she asks with a smirk.

Giuseppe is taken aback by her ability to switch moods at the drop of the hat. He doesn't quite know how to read the girl, but perhaps that's because he's not a superhero himself. He imagines they must run by different rules.

Or maybe it's because she's a teenager.

Either way, as long as she's willing to cooperate, he doesn't care.

After their little conversation, Giuseppe is shocked from how smoothly the setup for the shoot goes from there, as they get into the vans to head toward their shoot location, Lake Javen, a beautiful mountain lake not too far from the resort.

The three of them are sitting in the same van, and Giuseppe watches them in the backseat together through the rearview mirror with a great deal of bemusement as Ladybug turns to look at Adrien and they have a silent conversation of sorts.

He wonders how these two got to know each other so well in five minutes. He's been working with Adrien for three years now, and they are never on the same page.

* * *

It's a mild day, with more clouds than sun, creating perfect lighting, and by the time they arrive at the lake, the weather is perfect as well, and it puts everyone in a good mood, especially Giuseppe's two models, who are behaving spectacularly well, even though they are standing awfully close to each other and whispering into each other's ears.

The first line they are shooting is athletic leisurewear, and Ladybug watches with glee as Adrien comes out wearing the nicest grey and black sweatpants and sweatshirt she has ever seen in her life. They are tailored to perfection and give off a completely casual vibe, and as the sunlight catches his eyes and hair just right, she feels a little bit like she's melting into a little puddle.

She stares at Adrien, slack jawed, when he smirks and indicates that Giuseppe is trying unsuccessfully to get her attention.

"Yes?" she asks, mildly irritated at having to look at someone other than Adrien.

"Mademoiselle Ladybug, we have a sweatshirt for you to wear as well."

He nods at the assistant, who approaches her with a jet-black hoodie, with neon green piping.

Ladybug looks critically at the hoodie. "Neon green and black? Will that match my suit?"

Giuseppe frowns. "If you dislike that particular style, we have one other, though Monsieur Agreste specifically wanted to display this one in the shoot. But if you absolutely cannot wear this style, I can see what I can do."

"If I may, I personally think that green and black matches with you very well, my lady," says Adrien with a wink.

Ladybug rolls her eyes and smiles. "It's fine, Giuseppe. I'll wear this one after all."

* * *

After Ladybug puts on the hoodie, she indicates that she's ready to start taking pictures, and Giuseppe starts directing them in a variety of poses.

As expected, she's a natural in front of the camera, and the new direction of flirtatiousness seems to do the trick, carrying on as they move through the other lines: jackets and coats, running, golf and tennis, and shoes.

No longer is the air between them romantic and lovestruck, but rather, fierce and electric.

As he directs Adrien and Ladybug in a variety of poses, Giuseppe gets the strange impression that there's no way that these two don't already know each other intimately well, and at some points he even gets the feeling that he's intruding on something private and intimate, a kind of passion that isn't technically meant for public consumption.

Even as he does so, he shakes his head and thinks that he must be going crazy; these are teenagers, after all, and there's no way that the insane chemistry between them could be more than a crazy coincidence. It's the perfect storm; one is a famous model and the other is the heroine of Paris—it's completely natural that they would play well off each other, even if the intensity is a bit shocking.

But then again, it occurs to Giuseppe that some of the most famous lovers in history were not much older than these two, and he's left with the concern that when people look at the final photo spreads, they won't be paying attention to the clothes they're wearing, but rather, at the hungry expressions in their eyes.

But maybe it doesn't matter; either way, he's going to make bank from this shoot, and maybe these two will exchange phone numbers. Either way, everyone wins.

* * *

By late afternoon, there's only one line left for Adrien and Ladybug to shoot: hiking gear. The props assistants rush to set up the various scenes before the limpid golden light of the late afternoon disappears: a mid-hike picnic, a canoe in the lake, and a campfire, the final scene that will be shot.

Adrien moves over to the tent to change into his clothes, winking at Ladybug before he disappears into the tent.

She prepares herself as she waits for him to come back out. Even though it's been several hours that they've been at this, she still isn't used to how good he looks in literally everything, and now, in the late afternoon light, she's pretty positive that Adrien will look positively celestial.

And she's right. As Adrien comes back out of the tent with perfectly tousled hair, wearing chestnut hiking boots, light brown cargo hiking pants, a robin's egg blue shell jacket with piping that's the same red as her suit, and a cheeky grin that suggests that he already knows what kind of effect his look is going to have on her, Ladybug's about to fall over.

She wants to take him into the woods behind the lake and do distinctly unladylike things to him. But that would be inappropriate, and also difficult, given that she is currently covered from head to toe in magical spandex and standing in front of a crew of about thirty people who probably don't want to watch two randy teens make out in front of them.

"How do I look?" he asks, as cocky as can be, though she can still hear a faint and tense note of uncertainty woven tightly into the lower register of his tone.

"Incredibly sexy," she says with a wink, and he blushes.

Ladybug bites her lip, which does not go unnoticed by Adrien. His eyes widen and he gulps, his adam's apple bobbing nervously as he looks down.

One of Giuseppe's assistants rushes over to them with a large patterned blanket, and Ladybug looks at it with surprise as it's plopped into her arms.

"What's this for?" she asks.

"Oh, it's for the campfire photos. Giuseppe thinks you should pose as a couple in this set of photos, and sit underneath it together. You know, like cuddling. You don't have a problem with that, right?"

Ladybug and Adrien smile at each other before turning back to the assistant and shaking their heads.

"No, not at all," he says. "It's fine."

A few minutes later as they sit cuddling together underneath the blanket in front of a slowly kindling fire as the sun slowly begins to sink below the horizon, prop s'mores in hand, it occurs to both of them that this is an activity they'd like to repeat, when there isn't an entire crew standing there watching them.

* * *

At the end of the shoot, Giuseppe beckons at his accountant, who runs over to ask Ladybug what her rate for the nine-hour shoot will be, and how she should transfer the money to her.

Ladybug shakes her head and smiles. "No charge."

"I'm sorry?" asks the accountant. "How do you mean?"

"I don't need to be compensated for this shoot. Spending several lovely hours with Adrien Agreste is more than enough compensation for me."

"Oh, uh…" the accountant looks over to Giuseppe, who shrugs. "Okay, then. We appreciate your generosity!"

As they head back to the resort in the vans, everyone is tired and happy, and although Giuseppe is not quite sure what he just witnessed, he's pretty sure he has some spectacular photos for his editorial.

* * *

 **Adrien:** What are you doing right now? Have you had dinner yet?

 **Marinette:** yes, and I'm just packing up to go home tomorrow

 **Marinette:** this weekend flew by fast, didn't it?

 **Adrien:** It really did

 **Adrien:** Did you have fun at the photoshoot?

 **Adrien:** I hope you did

 **Adrien:** Sometimes Giuseppe can be a bit much

 **Adrien:** You weren't uncomfortable with anything were you?

 **Adrien:** If you were let me know

 **Marinette:** mon minou

 **Marinette:** you worry too much

 **Marinette:** I'm fine

 **Marinette:** and I had a lot of fun

 **Adrien:** ….I have a confession

 **Marinette:** ?

 **Marinette:** don't leave me hanging, chaton

 **Adrien:** I want to see you again tonight

 **Marinette:** we were together for 9 hours today

 **Marinette:** you're such a clingy kitty

 **Marinette:** it's a good thing you're so cute

 **Adrien:** So….that's a yes?

 **Marinette:** I mean, I'm pretty sure we both had the same idea earlier

 **Adrien:** So, want to meet up and go there in an hour?

 **Marinette:** Lol good thing I snuck the prop blanket into my bag I guess

 **Adrien:** My lady, you're a thief? I am shocked and appalled

 **Marinette:** Hey, I totally saw you sneaking those s'mores into your bag earlier

 **Marinette:** So I don't think you have any room to talk

 **Adrien:** Those were from craft services, it doesn't count as stealing

 **Marinette:** Whatever you say, mon minou

 **Marinette:** Either way, bring them along, I didn't eat much at dinner

 **Adrien:** Wellllllllllll….about that

 **Marinette:** You ate them all already, didn't you

 **Adrien:** I was hungry!

 **Marinette:** You're lucky my parents are bakers and always have backup snacks on hand

 **Adrien:** See you at 11, my lady! =^-^=

* * *

As the City of Lights, Paris is beautiful at night, but it's almost impossible to see the stars.

But not so on this night in the French Alps, where the sky is clear and the mountain air is clean and cold.

It's a new moon night, clear and dark. Against the inky black darkness, the stars shine as bright as diamonds against the celestial silk of the Milky Way.

And so when Ladybug and Chat Noir arrive back at the lake at 11pm, both are momentarily dumbstruck by the spectacular view of the heavens, reflected in the crystal clear water.

So much so, that they almost forget to start the campfire to warm up the s'mores that Ladybug has managed to sneak from the resort kitchen (it turned out that her parents were actually out of backup snacks, forcing her to be a little resourceful).

Until Chat's stomach rumbles rather loudly, that is, and they rush to start the fire.

Five minutes later, when the campfire is crackling comfortably and their bellies are filled with chocolate, graham crackers, and marshmallows, Ladybug pulls out the blanket and wraps it around them, sighing in awe as she looks up at the dazzling night sky.

"Isn't this wonderful? I've never seen anything like this."

"Yeah, it really is," says Chat Noir, smiling as he watches her eyes sparkle.

The Milky Way may be beautiful, but in his eyes, there's nothing lovelier than her.

* * *

The blanket is warm, but Ladybug's suit is designed to retain heat, and within a few minutes of cuddling under the blanket, she's sweating.

Chat Noir turns to her, frowning. "Are you okay, my lady?"

"I'm feeling kind of hot with the combo of the suit and the blanket…do you mind if I detransform?"

"Of course not. Should I as well?"

"No, I like how warm you are. You're like a giant space heater, and I'm probably going to get cold after I don't have the suit on anymore."

He snickers. "Well, I am a cat, after all. We tend to have warm bodies."

"What, you didn't know that's the only reason I'm dating you?"

"My lady, you're using me? _Meowch_ , my heart is broken."

Ladybug rolls her eyes before detransforming, and Tikki waves a merry hello before floating closer to the fire and taking in the heat.

Soon, it's apparent that her instincts are right, and the night mountain air is much colder without the protection of her suit, so Marinette wraps her arms around Chat Noir and snuggles into the heat he's emanating, and soon, she's sleepy.

He's more exhausted than he realizes as well, and in between yawns and sleepy conversation, two hours quickly pass by.

Close to one in the morning, Chat Noir realizes that they probably should return to the resort, but Marinette is on the precipice of falling into the depths of slumber and nestles into the crook of his neck, half asleep, as he tries to tell her it's time to go back.

"My lady, are you listening?"

"Mmmmmm," she murmurs, burrowing her face into his chest.

Chat Noir smiles and wraps his arm around her, pressing a kiss onto her forehead.

"Do you want to transform again, or should I carry you back?"

"Hmmhmmmm," is the only response he gets.

Tikki flies up and whispers into his ear.

"Adrien, Marinette might seem like she's awake, but she's actually asleep! You won't be able to wake her up now."

"Oh, okay," he replies with a nod, as he moves to pick her up in his arms.

Tikki shakes her head.

"If you carry her on your back, you'll be able to move faster."

"But how can she hold on?"

Tikki smiles. "She's Ladybug, and you're her partner. She'll always hold on, even when she's asleep."

Sure enough, as soon as Chat Noir hesitantly puts Marinette on his back, her arms and legs wrap instinctively around him, as tight as can be, even though it's clear that she's still far from being wide awake.

He pulls out his baton and rushes down the mountainside, Tikki flying beside him.

A few minutes later, a yelp indicates that his lady is conscious again, the cold rush of the mountain breeze blowing against her face having jerked her awake.

Marinette is silent for the rest of the journey, but once they arrive back at the resort, she presses a soft kiss on the back of his neck before hopping down.

"Thank you," she whispers as he detransforms and Plagg perches on his shoulder, yawning. "I had a great time."

Adrien smiles shyly and reaches for her hands. "So, does this count as date #2 then?"

"Okay," says Marinette, laughing. "But to make it official, I want a goodnight kiss."

Adrien's eyes brook no hesitation or protest, and as he leans down eagerly to meet his lady's lips, Plagg zooms off his shoulder without a word as Tikki giggles sweetly, like a nightingale in the darkness.

* * *

The next morning, both Adrien and Marinette wake up in a daze. They know the weekend is about to end, but neither wants to leave. At breakfast, they smile at each other over their breakfast crepes, indulging in the last quiet morning they have together before they separate again to finish packing, and all too soon, it's time to go.

At the entrance, they stand, facing each other, reluctant to look away. But finally, the Gorilla walks up to them and makes it clear that it's time for the holiday to end.

"Master Adrien, it's time to go," says Gerard, looking down at his watch. "We will be late if we don't leave now."

He turns to Marinette and nods. "It was a pleasure, Mademoiselle Marinette."

"So I guess I'll see you back in Paris then, yeah?" says Marinette as she turns to Adrien, trying not to let her disappointment show.

"Yeah, I'll see you there," replies Adrien quietly, raising an arm to rub the back of his neck as he struggles to keep his face composed. He knows that they'll see each other again tomorrow, if not sooner, via Facetime, and there's always texting—but there's so much that's happened over the past few days, and he doesn't want to leave everything here.

Marinette reaches for Adrien's hands and he meets her halfway, squeezing them as he tries to press as much love and affection into them as much as possible without giving everything about their relationship away to the people watching (though it's blatantly obvious to every adult who can see them what's going on), before wrapping her into a big bear hug, deciding it doesn't matter who sees them after all.

They stand there for several minutes, unmoving, before Marinette finally lets go with a sigh, a slight pink blush visible on her cheeks from what has clearly been the most visible display of affection between them in front of other people so far (though she knows the day when they will kiss after an akuma battle in front of other people is most likely not too far. She's a little nervous about that. And also a little excited)

The Gorilla watches their exchange in silence before pulling his phone out of his pocket and looking down at it, eyes widening. He turns to Tom and Sabine and beckons at them. Concerned, they rush over to him, but within a matter of seconds, their worry turns into something like quiet glee.

Marinette and Adrien look at each other and shrug. Neither has any idea what's going on. The Gorilla turns to Adrien and places a hand on his shoulder.

"Master Adrien, I'm afraid I have bad news. It appears that I have a family emergency I must attend to, so I cannot drive you back to Paris. However, Madame Cheng and Monsieur Dupain have told me that there is room on their bus, so you and Mademoiselle Marinette may travel back to Paris together."

Adrien's eyes light up like lanterns as he smiles with surprised delight.

"Really?"

"Of course, Adrien!" says Sabine. "We would be happy to have you come along with us!"

"That's right," adds Tom. "Marinette says that you are quite the punster! You and I can play games on the way back. Something tells me you're going to appreciate my jokes better than she does."

"Papa, that's because your jokes are terrible," says Marinette with a sigh.

"See? That's why we need you along, Adrien," says Tom.

Sabine smiles and nods. "Yes, indeed! In fact, I've been wanting to get a chance to get to know you. Marinette's always talked about you a lot, but she's been talking about you nonstop lately. In fact she really liked the suit you wore at the wedding reception. She says you looked as handsome as a Greek God!"

"Did she now?" asks Adrien with a wicked grin, as Marinette squeals " _Mamaaaan, nooo!"_

She knows that he's never going to let this go.

* * *

The double seat in the back of the bus is plush and large, like something out of a movie theater. It's almost as huge as a couch, and even though there's much more room there than there was in the car, Adrien and Marinette find themselves instinctively drawn close, their legs pressed together like magnets. They find that they fill each other's spaces just fine, and though the journey back to Paris will take many hours, they're happy to sit next to each other, side by side through all the bumps on the long ride home.


	11. how dare you

Two days after Adrien and Marinette return to Paris, they make plans to meet up with Nino for dinner at a new noodle bar that's just opened, since he's returned from his DJ competition.

While they're sitting in a booth and waiting for him at the restaurant, they discover three things: a) Nino has won his competition, b) that Alya is back from Martinique earlier than planned, and c) she has discovered from an online gossip column that Adrien Agreste and Ladybug were spotted shooting a fashion editorial together in the French Alps before Marinette has had a chance to tell her anything.

Neither Adrien nor Marinette are surprised that their intrepid friend has learned about this fashion editorial, given that she's continued to track any news articles about Ladybug and Chat Noir even after learning that the superheroes are actually her friends (she says it's because she wants to make sure that the news outlets report the news accurately, but Marinette knows it's because she wants to make sure that nobody gets a scoop before she does, especially now that she has a direct line to Ladybug herself)

The main problem is this: when someone does get the scoop before Alya does, shit hits the fan.

* * *

 **Alya:** I GO OVERSEAS WITHOUT ACCESS TO MY PHONE FOR ONE WEEK

 **Alya:** ONE WEEK

 **Alya:** AND /THIS/ HAPPENS

 **Alya:** WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK

 **Alya:** I AM GOING TO KILL YOU

 **Alya:** YOU CAN'T SURPRISE ME LIKE THIS

 **Alya:** TELL ME EVERYTHING

* * *

Adrien looks over at Marinette as she snickers into her phone.

"What's up, bugaboo?"

"Alya found out about the shoot. And I think she's figured out that we're dating."

"Uh oh."

Marinette grins. "I have an idea that's going to make her even more mad. You in?"

"Do I have a choice?" replies Adrien, laughing.

"Not really," says Marinette, sticking her tongue out.

* * *

A few minutes later, Marinette shows Adrien the series of increasingly infuriated texts she's receiving from Alya, which are steadily increasing in their incoherence as Marinette continues to send her friend the selfies that they have just taken.

"I think Alya wants to murder me. Or possibly both of us. I'm not sure."

"Yikes. Does that mean we should both be in uniform when she comes over?"

"Nah. I can take her as a civilian. You though, I'm not so sure."

"Says the girl who only signed up for gym class to stare at my butt. Might I remind you who the national level fencer and basketball player is in this relationship?"

"Whatever, _mon chaton_. I can take you any day."

"I know you can," says Adrien, snaking an arm around her shoulder with a toothy grin. "So, what do you say we send Alya one with the two of us kissing?"

Marinette laughs as the waiter brings their food to the table, a bowl of pho for Adrien and a large plate of udon noodles for her. "If you want to risk death, sure."

"To die with the taste of your cherry chapstick on my lips? A sweet death indeed. I welcome it with open arms."

"You are so cheesy," says Marinette, groaning.

Adrien picks up a chopstick and pretends to stab it into his chest.

" _Buginette_ , you wound me. You know I'm crazy pho you."

"Please stop."

"You're the only one pho me."

"That's because nobody else has my kind of patience."

"Udon know how much I'm into you. You make me soy happ—"

" _Enough_ ," says Marinette, pressing a finger to his lips before shutting him up with a kiss.

Unfortunately, the minute she pulls away, Adrien's eyes glitter with mischief and he leans over to pick up the teacup sitting by her plate and places it next to his.

"I think we make a cute cupple, don't you agree?"

Marinette's eyes narrow into little slits.

"Adrien Agreste, I swear to god—" she hisses, and only the arrival of a highly amused Nino at their table saves Adrien from being tossed headfirst into _purrgatory_.

* * *

Nino smiles happily at his friends, who seem much more comfortable together than the last time he saw them together, when both were blushing fools who could barely string together two sentences in front of each other.

"Well, it looks like the two of you finally worked things out!" he says with a broad grin. "I guess all it took was a trip out of town, huh?"

"Aha, yeah..." replies Adrien, looking at Marinette fondly. "I think both of us needed a change of scenery."

Marinette beams at him before turning to Nino. "So I hear that you won your competition! Congrats! Dinner's on me."

Adrien frowns. "Wait, I thought I was covering this one?"

"When did we agree to that?"

"Well, we didn't, but it's the gentlemanly thing to do…"

" _Mon chaton_ , you know you don't have to pay for every meal we go to together, right?"

"But I like to treat you, _ma princesse_ ," says Adrien, mildly petulant.

Marinette sighs and looks at him with an exasperated, if fond, smile.

"I know, but you don't have to do it every time. You already paid for my coffee earlier."

Nino watches their quietly combative exchange in silence before coughing and waving his arms to capture their attention.

"You know, I can pay for my own dinner! Don't have a lover's quarrel because of me. Anyway, you should probably save your energy for Alya."

Marinette whips her head to stare at Nino, eyes wide.

"What do you mean?"

"What, Alya didn't tell you? She's joining us for dinner. I told her I was coming and five minutes ago she said she was going to come along too. She was talking about having a bone to pick with you or something. I'm not sure what it is, but she sounded pretty mad. You better get ready."

"Shit. Shit. _Shiiiiit_ ," mutters Marinette under her breath, while Nino bursts into laughter and Adrien looks at her with concern.

" _Shit_ is right, Marinette Dupain-Cheng," rings out a voice filled with cold and righteous fury from behind. "I am going to kill you. And I'm going to kill you too, Catboy."

"What did I do?" asks Adrien innocently as Alya slides into the booth across from them, glaring at them with the intensity of ten thousand suns, her hair practically vibrating with incandescent rage.

She cracks her knuckles and leans across the table.

" _What did you_ _ **do?**_ _I'll_ _ **tell**_ _you what you did, you sneaky little—"_ she begins, when Nino gently interrupts.

"Soooooo, does that mean the two of you are finally dating? Alya, you owe me thirty euros. Forty, actually, since there's visual proof."

Alya harrumphs and leans back in the booth, momentarily defeated.

Marinette narrows her eyes. "Excuse me, what is that supposed to mean?"

Nino laughs. "I bet her that the two of you would get together before the summer ended, and she said that it would be at least six months into lycée before you so much as held hands, let alone kissed. But it looks like I was right! You and my main man are finally boyfriend and girlfriend. It's about damn time."

"Seriously, watching the two of you interact has actually been painful," added Alya.

"Well…we're not boyfriend and girlfriend yet, exactly," says Adrien.

"Excuse me?" interjects Alya, hackles raised once more. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

Marinette waves her arms. "It's just a silly thing I said—I told him as a joke that we couldn't be official until he'd taken me on at least three dates."

Adrien stares at her, eyes wide. "Wait, you were joking about that?"

"I mean…yes, and also no? I don't know," stammers Marinette. "I guess I never really thought about it?"

Alya leans forward. "So, how many dates as he taken you on so far?"

"Two," say Marinette and Adrien in unison.

"Ooh la la," trills Alya. "Where were they?"

"Well, the first was at the wedding reception my parents were working at," starts Marinette.

"Ehhh, doesn't count," Alya cuts in. "You were both at the resort because of your parents."

"But we were dressed up and everything!" protests Adrien.

Alya shakes her head. "Nope. You've only gone on one date. So what was the other?"

"Stargazing under the stars by a lake," says Marinette, sighing as she remembers the events of the night. "It was really nice. And then I was too sleepy to walk back, so he carried me back to the resort."

"Sounds like you did good, my man," comments Nino.

"He did," says Marinette, smiling proudly.

"Thanks," replies Adrien with a bashful grin, raising an arm to rub the back of his neck.

"My question is this," says Alya. "Are you counting tonight as another date?"

Marinette considers. "Well, I don't know…we could call this a double-date, maybe? Since all four of us are here?"

Nino suddenly grins. "Well, if it is, Alya, then you can pay for my dinner tonight and then you'll only owe me twenty euros for our bet."

"Watch yourself, Nino," retorts Alya. "Keep that up and you'll see what happens."

"Ohhhh, is that a threat?" rebuts Nino, raising an eyebrow.

Marinette laughs. "Careful, Nino, Alya has claws."

"I thought my man was the one with claws! Adrien, bro, back me up here!"

"Sorry Nino, I only have claws when I want to fight," says Adrien. "And honestly, I don't think my claws would do much good against Hurricane Alya."

"So I'm going to be alone and defenseless? Man, that's not cool. I trusted you, dude!"

"Don't worry, Nino, I'll protect you," says Marinette, laughing. "I can save you from Big Bad Alya. I know all of her secrets."

Alya snorts. "Girl, do you really want to go there? I have so much more leverage on you. Do you really want Adrien to know about your fancy schedule?"

"What schedule?" asks Adrien, looking back and forth between the combative best friends. "Your class schedule?"

"Don't worry about it, _mon minou_ ," says Marinette, patting his shoulder, as Alya snickers and a waiter warily approaches the table, asking Nino and Alya if they know what they want to order.

As they wait for the food to arrive, the four friends swap stories about the events of the past two weeks, and after they finish their noodles, they lean against the back of their chairs and settle into a comfortable silence as they wait for dessert to arrive.

"This is so nice," comments Marinette. "I'm so glad we can hang out like this again. It's been way too long."

"It really has," says Alya.

Adrien's eyes light up with mirth, and he leans forward. "You know what?"

"Uh oh," mutters Nino, recognizing the look in his eyes.

"I think we're going to be friends _phoever_!" he crows, as Marinette smacks him on the back of the head with the dessert menu.

* * *

After they finish their strawberry and matcha flavored mochi (and Adrien tells the waiter "Thank you very mochi," and earns another smack), Nino looks over to the flashy karaoke display in the corner of the restaurant, where a small crowd has been gathered and performing all night.

"I think we should cap tonight off with some karaoke! Let's make this a night to remember."

"But Adrien—" starts Marinette, as Alya interjects.

"Can't sing. I know. This is my revenge on you, for not telling me that the two of you are finally dating and leaving it to a gossip column for me to find out. He has to sing and you have to listen."

"Hey!" shouts Adrien, while Nino pats his arm consolingly.

"Okay, but Alya, consider this: you're going to have to listen to him too. Are you really willing to suffer through that?"

Alya gulps. "Maybe this wasn't the best idea."

Adrien's eyes glitter as he gets up from the table and walks toward the flashing screen. This is going to be his night to shine.


	12. bang bang bang

Adrien walks up to the sound booth and grabs the pamphlet listing all of the available karaoke songs. To his surprise, very few of the available songs are western—most of which are from the late 80s and 90s. In fact, the majority of the available songs are Korean pop songs.

Luckily, Adrien has recently developed an interest in Korean pop music—particularly the bands BTS and Big Bang—to the point where he's actually gone and memorized the lyrics to many of their songs, even though he's pretty sure his pronunciation is terrible (fluency in Mandarin hasn't done much for his skills in Korean, though he tries), and now that he and Marinette are dating, Adrien has started planning to serenade her at some point in the future with his favorite song (well, at least lip sync).

But the minute he spots the Big Bang song Bang Bang Bang on the list, he decides that he's moving his plans up to tonight. With a huge grin on his face, he walks up to the bored employee manning the sound booth and requests the song.

The employee looks up at Adrien with sleepy eyes and yawns while plugging in his request into the system before turning back to him.

"The wait's a half hour. That fine with you?"

Adrien nods. There is a dance involved in this song, and a half hour means that he can rope Nino into the performance as well, whether he likes it or not.

All he needs to do now in the next half hour is to teach Nino all the dance moves and get some eyeliner and hairspray to achieve the true kpop look.

Given that Marinette usually has eyeliner in her purse and there's a Monoprix down the street from the noodle bar where they can pick up some hairspray, none of this should be a problem.

The only problem is this: keeping the girls from finding out how detailed he's planning to make it. Since Alya and Marinette are both expecting this to be a trainwreck of a performance, Adrien plans to make up for the lack of musicality with as much theatricality as possible—but he wants it to be as amazing a surprise for them as possible.

* * *

The others are surprised at Adrien's quick return.

"Wait, weren't you gonna sing, bro?" asks Nino, confused.

"Yeah, I saw you go up there and make a request!" adds Alya. "What happened?"

"Maybe they found out that my _minou_ can't sing," says Marinette, with a cheeky grin.

Adrien laughs and shakes his head. "You're all wrong. You all still have to hear me sing, you just have to wait thirty minutes."

"Oh good, at least we get another half hour of peace before our ears are destroyed," Alya stage whispers into Marinette's ear as she bursts into giggles.

"Hey, I heard that!" says Adrien indignantly, with a mock frown.

Nino smiles. "Don't worry, bro, I'm sure you'll be great. I believe in you!"

Adrien's lips quirk up as he places a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Actually, _we're_ going to do great. You're joining me, buddy."

Nino's eyes widen in confusion. "Oh, wait—I am? I don't know, man, I'm more of a producer kind of guy."

"You'll be fine. Come with me and I'll explain what you need to do."

Nino shrugs. "Okay, man, your call. It's not my fault if I ruin everything though."

"Trust me, you'll do great. I've seen your moves before."

"My moves—wait, you want me to dance?"

"Something like that," says Adrien, smiling.

He walks up to the girls and nods at them, ignoring Nino's protests in the background.

"Ladies, we'll be back in a half hour! Prepare yourselves to be amazed!"

Alya rolls her eyes while Marinette continues to giggle, stopping only when Adrien leans down to give her a quick peck on the lips. As he pulls away with a _very_ Chat Noir grin, Marinette gulps and flushes in spite of herself, completely distracted.

Only Tikki, who is hiding inside Marinette's purse, notices Adrien stealthily sneaking his hand inside and slipping her eyeliner inside his shirt sleeve.

* * *

"Have fun, boys!" Alya calls after them with an airy wave as Adrien drags Nino out the door.

Alone at the table, she turns back to Marinette with an inquisitive but caring look in her eyes.

"Okay, girl, so we've probably only got a little bit of time before the boys come back. So while we're waiting—tell me—are you happy? Is Adrien treating you well? How did everything happen so fast?"

Marinette smiles fondly at her best friend, who's as protective as ever, even though she can see that everything is going well. She gives her a quick rundown of the events of the past week and a half, and Alya listens, eyes wide, shaking her head in both mirth and disbelief.

"So you're telling me you _shared a bed before you were even together_?" she whispers in hushed tones. "How did you not spontaneously combust?"

"Honestly? He was way more nervous about it than I was—I mean—Alya, you should have seen his face, he was so timid about sharing space with me. It was the cutest thing you've ever seen. You know he's like a literal giant now, but he was trying to take up as little space as possible so that I could be comfortable and have most of the bed. I've never seen him look so vulnerable—not since the day we found out about each other's identities. And then later that night, when there was a thunderstorm…"

She trails off, not wanting to go too much into detail about a memory that still seems a little too intimate to share, even with her best friend, and sighs as the emotions of that night rise up again and a lump forms unbidden in her throat.

Alya reaches out and affectionately rumples Marinette's hair with a fond smile.

"Well, I'm glad you're happy," she says with a satisfied sigh. "It's about time the two of you got together."

Marinette raises an eyebrow. "Okay, so I need to know. Did you and Nino really make a bet about when Adrien and I would get together, or was that just a joke?"

"Oh no, girl, it was totally real. Nino and I bet about a lot of things. It's kind of our thing. Actually, we've got another bet going about the two of you as well, but I'm not going to tell you what that is right now or you'll kill me."

"What?! You can't just say that and not tell me what it is!"

"Sorry, girl. A secret's a secret," says Alya with a smug grin. "But don't worry. I'll tell you what it is when you finally get around to doing it."

"What is that even supposed to mean?"

"Like I said, you'll find out. Someday."

"I hate you."

"Love you too."

* * *

Nino stares down at the music video Adrien is playing on his phone, eyes practically boggling out of his head.

"You want me to do _that_?" he sputters, watching the members of Big Bang saunter around the screen with more swagger in one move than he's pretty sure he's ever had in his entire life.

Adrien laughs. "It's not that bad! You don't have to do the whole thing, just a few moves. Come on, are these really that different from some of the hip hop choreography you were showing me the other day?"

Nino looks dubiously again at the paused screen. "Okay, but I was just doing that for fun. I wasn't planning to perform it in front of anyone."

"Yeah, but you did a great job!"

Nino shakes his head fondly at his friend's enthusiasm, which sometimes reminds him more of an overeager puppy than the cat after which his alter ego is named.

"Okay, just for you. What are the moves I need to know?"

Adrien gives him a quick run down and watches Nino perform them almost flawlessly with both thumbs up.

"I knew you could do it! Now to cap it all off with the right look."

Nino gulps. "Uh oh. I know that look. What does that mean?"

Adrien grabs his friend's shoulders with both hands.

"Nino, we are going to look just like those guys in the video."

"What, with the guyliner and teased hair and everything? How? We've got like ten minutes!"

"Hey, you're talking to a professional. Sometimes I've had less time than that to get ready at a shoot. And anyway, I'm prepared," replies Adrien as he pulls Marinette's eyeliner out of his pocket with a grin.

"Is that…Marinette's eyeliner?"

"Yup," says Adrien with a nod. "I nicked it from her purse when she wasn't looking."

"I can't believe Alya was right, Marinette's actually rubbing off on you," mutters Nino under his breath.

"What was that?" asks Adrien, eyebrow quirked with amusement.

Nino shakes his head and laughs. "Don't worry about it, man. It's all good. Okay, so we've got the eyeliner. But what about the hair and the clothes?"

Adrien points at the large Monoprix department store at the end of the street.

"Behold, the answer to all of your questions. Monoprix, a magical place where we can find all we need."

Nino sighs and follows his intrepid best friend inside the store and to the beauty products aisle, where Adrien quickly uses his trained eye to select the best hairspray and some red and green hair chalk, in addition to an assortment of makeup and a comb. After he completes his cosmetics haul, Adrien drags Nino to the clothing department and quickly selecting two pairs of tight black pants along with a faux leather vest and a leather jacket off the racks and an array of accessories.

A few minutes later, as they exit the store and walk to a bench underneath a bright street lamp, Nino eyes the merchandise warily.

"So, which one am I wearing?"

Adrien considers. "Has Alya ever seen you shirtless before?"

Nino raises an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because whichever one of us is wearing the vest can't wear a shirt underneath."

Nino hums and puts on a show of actually considering.

"Hmm. I'm not sure—it could be me, the guy who hits the gym maybe once every two months, or it could be you, the actual model who is already comfortable wearing eyeliner and looks good in it. I'm not sure though. It's a tough call."

"Okay, okay, I see your point," concedes Adrien with a laugh. "I was wanting to surprise Marinette, too. It takes a lot to faze her, so I'm gonna have to try hard."

"Well, don't _kill_ her," replies Nino. "If you think it takes a lot to faze her, you have no idea how bad she had it for you before the two of you got together. Man, I can't believe that Alya was right about this too, I'm going to owe her so much money…"

"Wait…what?"

"Don't worry about it, dude. It's all in the past. Come on, do your thing and glam me up."

"Great! Does that mean you'll wear the vest then?"

" _Duuuuuuude, why?_!"

"Come on, Alya will love it!"

"This is what I get for being best friends with a model."

"So I got a metallic eyeshadow palette and a neon eyeshadow palette. With the vest, I think one of these two colors would go well. Which one do you like better?"

"You're the master here, dude. I'm just here to dance. Pick whatever color you think works best—you know better than me."

* * *

It's been half an hour on the dot when Adrien and Nino finally return to the noodle bar. With perfectly styled hair, flawless eyeliner, fingerless leather gloves, and smirks that could rival any actual actual boy band member, even the bored employee manning the sound booth stands up with wide eyes as they saunter in, and salutes as Adrien points at him, silently directing him to start the musical track.

Adrien has won the battle to convince Nino to wear the faux leather vest and straight legged black pants, and his amber eyes pop against the electric blue eyeliner he sports, along with the two toned fuschia and gold eyeshadow artfully swept across his eyelids. Alya gapes at her boyfriend as he dances through the door and onto the karaoke stage before winking at her, and she clutches the edge of the table so tightly that it practically quivers.

"That is the hottest thing I've ever seen in my life," she whispers in a low, keen voice.

Adrien himself has styled his hair so that it sweeps downwards roguishly, with streaks of green and red scattered throughout. With his black leather jacket, black pants, silver accessories, black eyeliner and smokey eyes, he's subtly channeling Chat Noir, his gaze mischievous and suave as he blows a kiss to Marinette before following Nino onto the stage and grabbing onto the mic.

The entire restaurant is silent as they take control of the stage, their energy emanating across the entire floor, all the way to the back.

 _"How did they do that in fifteen minutes?"_ whispers Marinette in delighted disbelief as Adrien shouts out the words to the song, which turns out to be more of a rap than a melody, and even though everything is in Korean and she has no idea what he's saying, she's mesmerized by his performance, while Alya's eyes are glued on Nino's dance moves, her lips slightly parted and her gaze hungry.

Adrien's notes are slightly off key and his accent is horrendous—but drawn in by his thousand watt smile and the sheer joy in his face as he sings his heart out, dancing around the stage in sync with Nino, but keeping his eyes locked on Marinette, not a single person seems to care.

After their performance ends, the crowd is in a daze for a few moments before they burst into cheers, and Marinette and Alya rush towards the stage, cheering louder than everyone else. Nino gets a millisecond to flash a grateful grin at Adrien before Alya launches herself towards him, jumping up and wrapping her legs around his waist. Adrien bursts into laughter as Nino almost falls backwards from his girlfriend's intensity before he rallies and wraps his arms around her to support her weight, and carries her into the shadows behind the stage.

Adrien stares after them, both impressed and amused, until Marinette tugs on his jacket collar to get his attention.

"Hey, _mon chaton_ , not bad," she says, grinning cheekily. "I would actually say that was pretty _impurressive."_

 _"_ Did you just _pun_ for me?" Adrien responds, gasping dramatically.

Marinette smiles and reaches up on her tip-toes to give him a quick peck and a pat on the cheek.

"Only because you earned it."

"I knew you were the only one _pho_ me—" starts Adrien before Marinette presses a finger to his lips.

" _Shhhh_. I think Nino and Alya had the right idea. Less talking, more kissing, _mon minou_."

Adrien's Adam's apple bobs as he gulps nervously. "Right here?"

Marinette shakes her head and smiles. "No, not here. But I do know of some dark corners where we can do some dark deeds."

Adrien bows, his carefully styled hair falling in his eyes as he gallantly sweeps his arms to the side.

"Lead the way, my lady."


	13. ch-ch-changes

_Radiant. Beautiful. Mine. Us._

These are the few words that float through Adrien's mind as Marinette pins him against the wall in a secluded corner of the restaurant and kisses his neck in ways that eventually make him stop thinking entirely as he quietly moans and lets himself succumb to pure sensation.

As he reaches his arms around his girlfriend's waist and pulls her even closer, he can practically feel the electricity crackling between them as she trails kisses up the side of his cheek before he shifts the angle of his face and suddenly their lips are touching and her hands are underneath his shirt and sliding up his back as he shivers with pleasure.

" _I want you so much,"_ he whispers, almost reverently, and he whines as Marinette pulls away to smile at the sight of his flushed cheeks and lovestruck eyes.

" _I want you too, mon chaton,_ " she murmurs happily, tangling her fingers in Adrien's hair as he moves his hands to cup her face. They're so close he can feel Marinette's heartbeat thrumming against his chest as the warmth from her lips floods his entire body and it's bliss, sheer bliss, and he doesn't want it to end—

And then her phone suddenly buzzes and she startles away, her face slightly dazed as the moment suddenly ends. She pulls her phone out of her purse and her brows furrow as she looks down to see who texted her.

"What is it?"

"It's Alya. She says she has something to tell me right now. Sounds like it's important."

Adrien closes his eyes and sighs, as he leans against the wall, trying unsuccessfully not to pout.

"Okay—let's go and see what it is."

Marinette laughs and bops his nose. "I'm sorry, minou, I was having fun too. I promise we can make up for it later. You have no idea what you're doing to me dressed like that."

Adrien grins and raises his arm to rub the back of his neck as he shrugs.

"Well, I think I have a _bit_ of an idea…"

* * *

Alya sits smugly on the bench outside the restaurant as Nino slumps beside her, dazed and happy and mildly drunk from what she's sure has been the best make out of his life. It would have certainly gone longer, but unfortunately a manager had come up to them and interrupted them and asked them to take it outside, so here they are now, sitting on a bench and waiting for Adrien and Marinette to realize that their friends are no longer inside.

If she knows Marinette at all, she expects it will take a while. She can't remember the last time she saw Marinette look so thirsty—not that she can judge. She's looking down at her phone and checking through her favorite news app specifically to avoid looking at her boyfriend, who's trying to get her attention by playing with her hair. But Alya is not going to give in. Nino looks even more attractive with her lipstick smudged across the edge of his lips and that stupidly infatuated look on his face and if she looks now, it's going to be a matter of seconds before she's going to be the reason they actually get arrested for public indecency.

And then suddenly, her phone is flooded with a sea of notifications from her Ladybug news app, which always lets her know if any other news outlets have posted anything about her friend before she's had a chance to post anything on the Ladyblog. Of course, given that she is best friends with Ladybug, she's usually the first one on the scene, so the app is mostly useless.

She stares at the screen in confusion. It doesn't make sense why the news app is blowing up with notifications, especially since absolutely nothing has happened in the past few hours, considering that both Ladybug and Chat Noir have been sitting next to her, flirting outrageously while eating noodles and singing karaoke.

But the reason Alya's phone is blowing up with notifications about Ladybug becomes crystal clear the minute she looks down and sees the headlines.

The tabloids have gotten ahold of Giuseppe's fashion editorial photos for the Agreste sportswear collection, and even though Giuseppe's photos are clearly tasteful and don't focus on them, it's clear that the tabloids have zeroed in on only one thing:

Ladybug's new curves.

 _Ladybug Becomes A Lady!_

 _Bug-a-BOO!_

 _Oh La La, My Lady~!_

Alya's eyes turn molten with fury. How _dare_ these idiots objectify her best friend like this?

And it's more than just that—for the past few years, Ladybug has been a symbol of hope and pride and courage for the city, but she's been spared the same kind of scrutiny that other famous female celebrities face.

Alya had always thought it was because they had finally learned some respect, but it's clear now that it had nothing to do with respect and everything to do with the fact that Ladybug appeared to be too young to be fair game for the media.

But now that she seems to be visibly growing up, they've obviously decided that it's open season.

Alya's not going to let that happen.

Her fingers itch with the editorial she's dying to write right now, blasting the tabloids for their insipid and immature focus on Ladybug's body instead of the incredible work she did with Chat Noir, and how everything they're writing is not only absurd, but extremely disrespectful.

She's practically incandescent with rage, and she has to do something right now. She shoots off a text to Marinette asking her to come outside right now, and she gets off the bench ands starts pacing around like an angry tiger.

Nino looks at her with concern. "Alya? What's wrong?"

"I just—they're so stupid and sexist!"

"Who? What's happening?"

"Look at this. _Just look at this!_ "

Nino gapes at the headlines.

"What the heck? That is not cool!"

"I'm going to kill them."

"Babe, I feel you, but I really don't think murder is the best option."

"Fine. I'm going to tear them a new one on the Ladyblog."

"That's my girl. Kill them with facts."

* * *

Alya continues to pace around as Nino watches her with concern until Marinette and Adrien come walking out of the restaurant, looking curious and disheveled.

"Alya? Is everything okay?"

"No—Marinette—there are news articles. Awful news articles. We need to do something right now."

"Articles about Adrien?" asks Marinette, voice rising with anxiety.

Alya shakes her head. "No—about you."

Marinette furrows her eyebrows in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Alya practically as she shows her best friend the headlines on the phone, and Marinette sighs and shakes her head as she reads them.

"I should have known this was going to happen," she says, shaking her head. "I should have said no to the photoshoot, but I thought it would be fun to bond with Adrien, and the photographer seemed so enthusiastic…I expected better from the press."

Marinette hands Adrien the phone to show him the articles. Tikki flies out of her purse and perches on his shoulder to read them as well, and their expressions simultaneously shift from curiosity to dismay.

"This is horrible," says Adrien, before he turns to Marinette with concern. "Are you okay?"

Marinette nods and squeezes his hand. "Yes, I'm fine. I know these are just gossip rags."

Alya takes the phone and tosses it into her purse like a hot potato, scowling the entire time. "It doesn't matter. Being a celebrity does _not_ mean that you sign away your right to privacy. You're a human being, not some sort of object for people to ogle at."

Tikki murmurs in agreement. "Marinette, I think it's high time for you to redesign your costume. It's too late to do anything about these photos, but I think this is a sign that we shouldn't wait any longer."

Marinette nods. "You're right. Let's do it tonight."

"Tonight?" exclaim Alya and Adrien in unison.

"You know I don't like to waste time," replies Marinette with a shrug. She turns to Adrien with a small frown. "I'm sorry, mon chaton…looks like we'll have to finish our date another time. Can you please drop me off home?"

"Of course," says Adrien. "I'll call the Gorilla—I mean, Gerard—right now."

"Come on, Nino," says Alya. "Let's go back to yours. I need peace and quiet to work on this editorial and my sisters have been on a sugar bender all night ever since I bribed them with cookies to leave me alone while I was getting ready earlier."

Nino grins. "Fine with me. The Lahiffe household is all mine tonight. Both my parents are on holiday."

"Perfect," says Alya. "If you're a good assistant, you might just get a reward."

Alya rolls her eyes as Adrien coughs and shifts his gaze downward, clearly uncomfortable at this turn in the conversation.

"Oh, calm down, Monsieur Agreste. You're the one who soars around Paris in a skintight leather catsuit, not me."

"Hey, that's not fair. You were just ranting about how people shouldn't assume things based on clothing!"

Nino laughs. "Don't worry, buddy. We'll be careful. Come on babe, let's go. My moped is parked around the corner."

"Good night! Make good choices!" calls Marinette after her friends as they walk away, before turning to Adrien.

"Hey, tell Gerard he doesn't need to come pick us up."

"What? Why not?"

"Let's just walk home together. My parents know I'm out with you anyway, and it'll give us some extra time together."

"Oh! Okay!" says Adrien, lighting up like he's just spotted presents underneath the Christmas tree. "Will there be cookies?"

Marinette giggles. "Silly kitty. You know there always are."

* * *

Despite his initial enthusiasm, it occurs to Adrien that he's being impolite by being so overeager about eating Madame Cheng and Monsieur Dupain's food when he hasn't even been offered any, and when they finally arrive back at the bakery, he tries to drop Marinette off at the door.

Luckily, Sabine and Tom won't have it, and insist upon making him come inside. Adrien doesn't put up much of a protest; far be it for him to complain about the piping hot cookies his girlfriend's parents are literally handing to him as they enthusiastically ask him how the night went as they ooh and ahh at his kpop attire.

"You did that in fifteen minutes?" asks Sabine in awe. "That's incredible!"

"You are a very talented young man," says Tom, smiling proudly.

They chat in the living room for nearly half an hour before Adrien notices that Marinette seems to be a little restless, and he remembers that she wants to work on her new suit design tonight.

"Marinette, you had a project you wanted to work on, right? You mentioned it at dinner. We can talk more later—I don't want to keep you down here," he says, standing up.

"Yes, thank you. I'll see you in a bit," she murmurs, leaning up on her tip-toes to kiss him on the cheek before she heads up the stairs to her room.

"Well, I think that's our cue," says Tom, standing up and extending a hand to his wife. "You kids have fun working on your project."

"The guest room is down the hallway, okay?" says Sabine, smiling up at her tall houseguest. "Just wanted to let you know, in case you would like to sleep over. There are spare toothbrushes in the medicine cabinet, and I will leave one of Tom's old pajama sets on the bed."

"Thank you, Madame Cheng," says Adrien. "I'll try not to stay too late, I don't want to impose."

Tom smiles and pats him on the shoulder. "You are always welcome here, son. Don't ever worry about imposing on us. We're more than happy to have you here."

* * *

Just as Sabine and Tom enter their bedroom, Sabine receives a call from an unfamiliar number. She is just about to let it go to voicemail when something tells her to pick up the phone, and she immediately recognizes the smooth, dulcet tones of the man speaking as belonging to Gerard, Adrien's normally reticent bodyguard, who wants to know whether his charge is actually at the Dupain-Cheng residence, as he has said he is.

"Hello, Monsieur Gerard, yes he's here," says Sabine over the phone. "We've invited him to stay overnight. Will that be a problem with Monsieur Agreste? I've never spoken to the man, but he seems quite strict and I don't want Adrien to get in trouble. He just seemed to be having such a nice time with Marinette that I wanted to give them some more time together—I remember what it was like to be that age, and if I may speak frankly, that boy deserves to have some fun. He works entirely too hard for someone his age."

The phone is silent for a few moments until Gerard finally responds.

"Monsieur Agreste is aware of Master Adrien's friendship with Mademoiselle Marinette, though I do not believe he knows the extent of their attachment. I fear if he stays overnight, he may come to learn of it, and that may have consequences."

"Then what do you suggest?"

Gerard pauses. "My associate Nathalie is in charge of Adrien's schedule and of informing Monsieur Agreste where his son is at all times. I will speak to her about altering the facts about where he was tonight. Please inform the young master that I will come by to pick him up at 5am tomorrow morning."

"So...you're planning to lie to his father?"

"I appreciate your honesty and sincerity, Madame Cheng, but please believe me when I say a small white lie like this is in both Master Adrien and Mademoiselle Marinette's best interest, for their happiness."

"I understand. Thank you, Monsieur Gerard," says Sabine. As she hangs up the phone, she turns to her husband and shakes her head.

"What a complicated life that poor boy leads. I'm glad Marinette is with him."

* * *

Up in Marinette's room, Adrien watches curiously while she pulls out several sketchbooks and colored pencils in preparation for her suit redesign project.

"Do you think you'll be making a lot of changes?"

Marinette purses her lips as she considers. "I'm not sure...I haven't thought much about it yet. I do know I want to avoid being revealing though. I'm tempted to go boring just so the tabloids don't pay attention to the way I look, but at the same time...I'm proud of being Ladybug. I like standing out. What about you? Do you think you want to make any changes to your suit?"

Adrien shrugs. "I haven't thought much about it either, I guess. What do you think, Plagg? What kind of changes should we make to my Chat Noir suit?"

"I haven't a clue," says Plagg as he pops out of Adrien's shirt pocket, wearing a small frown. "Why, is there anything you don't like?"

Adrien shakes his head. "Not really. I like the way it looks."

Plagg gives the faintest hint of a pleased smile before zooming up onto Adrien's head and nestling into his hair, curling up and immediately falling asleep.

Marinette stares curiously at the sleeping black kwami. "Does he always do that?"

Adrien laughs. "Not all the time. But I don't mind. It's kind of relaxing to have him up there."

He yawns as Marinette's phone beeps. It's a text from Sabine, who is sending a message instead of coming upstairs because "she doesn't want to disturb the young lovers".

Marinette smiles at the message. "Maman says that Monsieur Gerard is going to pick you up at 5am tomorrow. Guess that means you're officially staying over!"

"Really?" asks Adrien, blinking in surprise.

"Yes! Hold on, I'll be right back."

"Okay, I'll be waiting."

* * *

A few minutes later, Marinette returns to the room, with a pair of her father's spare pajamas, and a warm washcloth in tow and a jar of makeup remover.

"You need to take your makeup off, or it's not going to be good for your skin."

Adrien nods sheepishly. "Ah, yeah, I should have done that earlier."

"It's okay!" says Marinette. "That's what I'm here for. Do you want to change into your PJs first?"

"That would be great. The leather jacket and tight pants are really starting to get uncomfortable."

After Adrien finally changes into his PJs and Marinette does as well, they sit together on her bed as she wipes his face down.

"Your hands are so gentle," murmurs Adrien as he nuzzles into the warm washcloth.

"Hold still!" replies Marinette, frowning with pretend exasperation. "You still have some foundation on and there's glitter all over your cheeks. It's going to take me at least five more minutes to get all this makeup off your face."

" _Mmmmmmm_ ," is the only response she gets from her boyfriend, who is practically purring with contentment.

After she's done, Marinette playfully shoves Adrien off the bed and laughs as he plops onto the ground.

"Okay, mon chaton. Now that you've distracted me for the better part of an hour, you need to either sit beside me and not bother me while I work on these designs or make yourself useful in some other way."

Adrien whines but acquiesces, trudging off to Marinette's computer chair with a book while staring longingly over at his girlfriend, who is looking with intense concentration at her sketchpad.

* * *

Two hours later, discarded sketches lay all over the floor as Marinette splays across her bed and looks up at the ceiling, groaning with irritation as Tikki floats above her. Adrien sits next to her, long legs dangling off the edge of the bed as he plays with her hair, which is fanning across her cat pillow, while Plagg naps on top of his shoulder.

"Tikki, I don't like any of the ideas I'm coming up with. Why can't I think of anything? Why is this so hard?"

"That's because designing the perfect suit is difficult, Marinette! Typically, the Miraculous magic updates the suits on their own as the heroes grow older, but it really depends on the holder's personality. If a Miraculous holder wants to have direct input into how their suit looks, the magic allows that to happen. That's why nothing about your suit has changed at all; the magic knows that you've got a very specific taste, and I had a feeling you wouldn't like sudden suit modifications along with your new powers, especially considering how you didn't like your original costume the first time you wore it.

Marinette sits up and stares at Tikki.

"New powers? What new powers?"

"Well, for Ladybug, flight is usually the first new power, though it depends. You will eventually get all of the new powers, but not all at once—"

" _Tikki. Does that mean I can get wings?_ "

The kwami smiles. "Of course you can! They'll be an accessory, of course—your power of flight isn't dependent on them, but they will help you fly faster. How do you want them to look?"

Marinette's eyes sparkle as she grabs a new sheet of paper and some colored pencils and quickly sketches out a rough design.

"What do you think?"

Adrien leans over her shoulder and hums approvingly at the design—large sheer ladybug shaped wings stretching out from her back.

"It's really nice! I can't wait to see what they look like in real life."

"As for support…" Marinette mumbles to herself as she adds a few more variations to the suit as Tikki perches next to her and adds some expert commentary: a solid black bodice that tightens the support around her chest, black calf-length boots that nearly reach up to her knees, a thin notched belt that will eventually hold a second weapon (though Tikki won't tell her what it is just yet), and a set of fingerless reinforcements around her gloves.

"Is there anything else you want to add? Nothing here is too complicated." Tikki asks as she examines the modifications, which are simple, but significant.

Marinette considers. Aside from the wings, most of the changes she's made are utilitarian and not aesthetic. But if she's going to indulge…

"Hmm…maybe...this," she says, as she extends the length of the ribbons that hold her pigtails back. "I've always liked fancy ribbons."

"I like ribbons too," comments Adrien as a rather cat-like glimmer enters his eyes and he reaches down onto the paper to trace their outlines with his fingers.

"Uh oh," says Marinette. "Does this mean you're going to get distracted by these during battle?"

Adrien shrugs and trills, "Maybe, maybe not~!" as he bops her nose.

Marinette snorts and bats away his hands. "Okay, Tikki. I want to see how all these changes look right now."

"Are you sure that's everything?"

"Yes."

"Okay, Marinette. Whenever you're ready!"

Marinette smiles and moves to the middle of the room and shouts, " _Tikki,_ _transforme-moi!"_

The magical light is a more striated pink now, and it wraps around Marinette in a way that's a little new but still familiar, and when the magic fades away, Adrien can't stop staring at the sight.

Even Plagg peeps an eye open to take in the sight of Ladybug, with her wings spread and ribbons floating.

" _You look amazing_ ," he whispers, as she walks over to the mirror to take in the results of Tikki's magic.

She smiles at what she sees. The changes to the suit reflect the many ways in which she has grown and learned so much over the past few years, and it makes her feel more compact, powerful, and, well— _beautiful_.

Ladybug tests her wings, fluttering them softly as she takes a small flight around her room before landing in front of Adrien.

She flies up just enough and hovers so that her eyes are level with Adrien's, and she smiles at his starry-eyed expression.

"Let's go on a test flight outside! My room is too small to fly in. It's a full moon, it'll be gorgeous."

"Right now? But I'm out of Camembert, I don't think Plagg will want to transform."

Ladybug's eyes sparkle with mirth and anticipation. "That's okay. I'll carry you."

Adrien smiles. "Flying in your arms in the moonlight? I'm pretty sure I've dreamed about this before."

Ladybug giggles and shakes her head. "Come on, minou, let's go outside."

* * *

The breeze picks up as they walk out onto the moonlit balcony, and Ladybug's long ribbons flutter behind her as she leaps into the air, floating above the edge as she extends her arms down to Adrien and smiles.

"Do you trust me?"

Adrien grins at the Aladdin reference and nods, reaching his hands out to hers.

" _Yes_."

Ladybug pulls him into her arms and soars into the air, and Adrien wraps his arms around her neck and holds on tight as she twists and turns in the air, gliding like a swallow through the starry sky.

" _You're like a fairy_ ," he whispers under his breath in awe, thinking she won't be able to hear over the wind in her ears, but the small smile dancing on her lips as she rises above the rooftops suggests that she can, and the soft kiss she presses to his forehead and the " _But I'm real_ ," she hums into his ear as they land back on her balcony makes it certain that she did.

"Your wings are beautiful," he says, reaching out to touch the sheer edges, so delicate, but strong. "You're beautiful."

Ladybug laughs merrily. "Thank you, mon chaton. You're not too hard on the eyes yourself."

"So are you happy then, with all the changes? Are you happy with your wings and ribbons?"

"I am," she replies, smiling broadly. "I really am."

* * *

Back inside the room, Ladybug de-transforms and kisses Tikki on the cheek as she reappears. "Thank you, Tikki, you did an amazing job!"

Tikki giggles and nuzzles against her chosen. "Thank you, Marinette! I'm so happy you like it!"

"I love it," says Marinette with a smile, before yawning. "But I think I'm ready for some relaxation. How about you, mon chaton?"

"As you wish, my lady," says Adrien. "Wanna play Ultimate Mecha Strike?"

All traces of sleepiness leave Marinette's eyes, replaced by a combative glitter.

"Oh yes. I hope you've got my lucky charm bracelet, because I've been practicing."

* * *

After five rounds of Ultimate Mecha Strike where Marinette absolutely decimates Adrien (who left her charm bracelet at home), she suddenly turns to him with an absurdly pleading look in her eyes.

"Adrien. This is going to sound ridiculous, but I want McDonald's."

"What?"

"I know it's silly, but sometimes…you know, when it's that time of the month…it's just something I crave. It's probably closed, though. It's almost 1 am."

Marinette opens her phone to check the hours, and her eyes widen at what she sees.

"Oh my gosh—it's open till 2 am. God, it's tempting…" she muses, when she notices that Adrien is standing up with a determined look on his face.

" _Plagg, transforme-moi!"_

"Adrien, what are you doing?!"

"Adrien Agreste might not be able to get you McDonald's at 1 am in the morning, but Chat Noir can."

"Don't be ridiculous, it's just a silly craving. You don't need to go to McDonald's for me!"

"I don't need to, but I want to," says Chat Noir.

"You're going to be in the news tomorrow morning, you know that, right?"

"Even better. It'll take the focus off of you."

"You're crazy, mon minou."

"I'm _your_ crazy minou."

"God, you're so cheesy."

"Does that mean you want a cheeseburger?"

"Ugh, no, I'm not Plagg. Bring me chicken nuggets."

"As you wish, my lady," says Chat Noir with a bow, before he jumps out the window.

* * *

As Marinette predicted, Chat Noir's sudden late night trip to the Champs-Elysees McDonald's is all over the celebrity newspaper covers the next morning, and the Gorilla spots the headlines as he drives by several newsstands.

When he pulls up to the bakery bright and early at 5am and opens the car door for Adrien, the boy practically stumbles into the backseat, bleary eyed and weary, and the long-suffering driver sighs as he looks at him in the rearview mirror.

"Care to tell me what you were doing at a fast food restaurant at 1:30 in the morning?"

"Long story."

"Does this story involve Mademoiselle Marinette?"

"Yes."

"Say no more. I understand."


	14. so baby, why don't we go

When Master Fu invites Adrien and Marinette over for a cup of tea, they're hesitant at first. Though both of them enjoy spending time with their mentor, neither of them are sure how their mentor will react to learning that they are dating. Despite the obvious fact that being in a relationship has made them more in sync than ever before, they still haven't told him about the change in their relationship— nor have they visited him since the beginning of the summer.

And unfortunately now that the press believes Adrien is dating Ladybug, there are twice as many paparazzi trying to track all of his movements, which makes it twice as difficult to plan any outings with any sort of privacy.

Still, with the help of Gerard and Nathalie, the two of them manage to find a way to get to Master Fu's neighborhood unnoticed, though they still walk as quickly as possible down the side streets; it's too risky to walk slowly.

"Do you think he'll be angry?" asks Adrien, sweating and pale as they approach the door to his apartment. "We've been dating for a while now and haven't said anything to him."

Marinette shakes her head. "I'm sure he'll understand. And if not, we can explain that we know it's risky, but it's worth it. I believe in us."

"Me too."

"You ready?"

Adrien nods. "Yeah. I think I am."

"Okay," says Marinette, squeezing his hand. "Let's go."

But Master Fu opens the door before she even has a chance to knock on it.

"Well, it's about time," he says, with a satisfied smile. "I've been waiting for this day for far too long."

* * *

Tea is a simple but elegant affair, with one pot of fragrant jasmine tea, one pot of Ceylon black tea, and sugar cookies from the Dupain-Cheng bakery that Marinette has brought along as a gift from her parents. Tom and Sabine aren't sure how their daughter became friends with Master Fu, but they have noticed that after getting to know him, her grades have gone up and she seems to be having less trouble being punctual, which is more than enough for them to consider him a family friend.

This, of course, entails Tom and Sabine pressing boxes of pastries and cakes into Marinette's arms whenever they learn that she is going to see Master Fu, to the point where Wayzz zooms up to the box she is usually carrying before she says hello.

In the rare event that Marinette doesn't bring a box of baked goods with her, Wayzz usually looks sad and glum at the missed chance for sweets.

Luckily, today is a jackpot. Not only has Marinette brought sugar cookies, she has also brought along mini palmiers, one of her father's specialties. Wayzz selects the biggest one and settles down on the table next to Tikki and Plagg, who titter at his excitement.

He scowls at them. "The two of you are spoiled, living with this spread all the time. Let an old man enjoy his sweets! You know the old master never brings anything like this home. The two of you are lucky, eating pastries and cheese all the time."

"You know I don't eat cheese," says Tikki, wrinkling her nose. "That's all Plagg. Cookies for me!"

Plagg snorts. "Keep your cookies. Camembert is where it's at."

Adrien sighs. "For you, maybe. I'm just waiting for the day when you'll develop a taste for something else and I can stop smelling like cheese all the time."

Marinette laughs and pats him on the arm. "For what it's worth, I've gotten used to the smell. It's not so bad, after a while."

"Really?" asks Adrien, eyes brightening.

Marinette shakes her head. "Well, no. It's pretty bad. But you're so cute, it doesn't matter."

Master Fu laughs at their exchange as he pours three more cups of tea.

"So what finally convinced you to visit your old mentor again? If I recall correctly, I've invited the two of you over for tea at least three times over the past few months. I was starting to think you were both giving me the cold shoulder," he says in a stern voice, though his eyes are merry.

Marinette waves her arms around frantically. "I'm so sorry, Master Fu, we've just both been so busy! And a lot of things have happened, and we-I- just forgot to reply to your invitation. Um, twice."

"You could have texted me, you know. I'm a hip old man. I know all the new trends," Master Fu replies with a droll grin.

Wayzz snorts. "Master, I think you should give credit where it's due. I'm the one who texts for you! 5000 years old, and somehow I'm the one who is better at using a mobile phone than someone who hasn't even been on the planet for 200 years."

"Now, now, Wayzz, don't get fussy," says Master Fu. "I would have eventually given you the credit. Anyway, just Iook how much both of you have grown! I forget how quickly everything can change at your age. It seems like just yesterday that I slipped the Miraculouses into your bags."

Adrien looks down and clutches his tea cup, remorseful. "We really are sorry for not coming by sooner, Master Fu. We could have tried harder."

Master Fu shakes his head dismissively and places a reassuring hand on Adrien's shoulder. "Now, now, no need to worry about it. What's done is done. You accepted this invitation, and that's all that matters. I'm very glad you're both here now."

He turns to Marinette. "The two of you are all over the newspapers, you know. Well, Ladybug, that is. Those fashion editorials are making quite a splash throughout the whole world— particularly you, young lady."

Marinette sighs with frustration. "I know. Alya's gone on the attack against a lot of the tabloids, but even though she's doing her best, they don't seem to care. It's not that I mind the attention...it's all the consequences for Adrien. Now that the world thinks he's dating _Ladybug_ , there are even more paparazzi trying to follow him around all the time. It was almost impossible for the two of us to find a way to get here together today— now that the press has latched onto the idea of a superhero dating a supermodel...well, it's been a pain. We can't go anywhere publicly."

"We've also been worried about how this is going to affect future akuma battles," adds Adrien. "Things have been really quiet lately, but things are obviously different between us now, and people are going to notice. We've always been flirty during battle, but considering the current situation...I really don't want anyone to get the wrong impression about my lady. I know that Chat Noir and I are the same person, but almost nobody else does. If they think she's leading two different people on, it could have really bad consequences. I've seen it happen before in my father's social circles. It just takes one person to start a rumor that destroys someone's life."

Master Fu nods. "I had a feeling things might be difficult. Have you considered making a public statement?"

Adrien exchanges a nervous glance with Marinette before turning back to Master Fu. "Both of us? Or just me?"

"You, my boy," says Master Fu. "This is the first time Ladybug has been in the spotlight because of something other than her heroics, but you have grown up in a world of press conferences and making statements. I've seen your father schedule a conference on more than one occasion when something doesn't go well. Speaking of which...how has he been handling this situation? Has he said anything to you?"

Adrien shakes his head. "No. Père has been traveling nonstop all summer, so I've barely seen him. But now that you mention it, it's so strange that he hasn't said anything at all. The last time something like this happened was last summer, when the press thought that Chloe and I were secret lovers, and he shut that down in less than 24 hours. I've never seen him move that fast."

Master Fu looks thoughtful. "Perhaps he approves of the assumed association between you and Ladybug. In that case, Marinette, the task may fall upon you. How do you feel about it?"

"Well, I've done my fair share of press conferences, but never one like this," says Marinette, biting her lip. "Honestly, I don't think it's anyone's business who I'm dating, or if I'm dating more than one person. My job is to save Paris from Hawk Moth, not to entertain people with the juicy details of my personal life. If I schedule something like this, won't it just encourage everyone to keep talking about who I'm dating?"

"It is certainly a risk. But it may be one worth taking. Would you prefer to say nothing and continue being followed by the press as they continue to try and catch the two of you in an intimate moment, or would you prefer to take control of the situation and guide the conversation?"

Marinette sighs. "I don't know. I have to think about it. It's just frustrating."

"I know. If I were you, I would just want to stay in my apartment and drink a nice hot cup of tea and ignore all of those annoying reporters. Unfortunately, you are not an old man with a lot of free time like me."

"If only," sighs Adrien. "When I'm as old as you, I'm going to eat all the pastries in the world, without worrying about ruining my figure for modeling."

"That's what you think," mutters Wayzz. "The only pastries in this household are the ones that Mademoiselle Marinette brings with her."

"Either way, we'll talk about it," says Marinette. "Thank you for the advice, Master Fu. I think we both needed some outside perspective from someone who understands."

"Of course, my dear. My door is always open to both of you."

"Thank you, Master Fu," says Adrien. "It really means a lot to know that you're watching out for us."

Master Fu laughs. "Well, I specifically chose both of you for a reason! Of course I'm going to keep an eye on you. If I may remind you, I'm almost 200 years old. There's not much in this city I haven't seen. It's young people like you who keep me entertained. What else am I supposed to do with all of my free time?"

"Drink tea, I guess," replies Marinette, grinning. "I never really thought about it."

"You know, I always hoped the two of you would eventually end up together," says Master Fu. "I was there that first day, you know. And I had an inkling that the two of you might be soulmates."

Adrien furrows his brows in confusion. "The first day...do you mean when we fought Stone Heart, after you gave us the Miraculouses?"

Master Fu nods. "Yes, but no. My hunch had nothing to do with the battle itself."

"Then what was it?"

"I'm sure at least one of you remembers that it was raining that afternoon," replies Master Fu, turning to Marinette with a knowing grin. "You still have it, don't you?"

Adrien turns to look at Marinette as well."Have what?"

Marinette flushes. "Your umbrella," she murmurs. "The one that I accidentally closed on myself and made you laugh and laugh and laugh. How could I forget? It's when I fell for you."

"I figured it out before she did!" pipes Tikki. "It was a wonderful moment."

"I remember too," Plagg comments slyly, turning to Adrien. "If you will recall, I referred to Marinette as your girlfriend from the very beginning. I knew all along that you'd get together someday."

Marinette turns to Master Fu.

"Master Fu, you've been doing this for a long time. We can't be the first Ladybug and Chat Noir to fall in love, can we? Tikki and Plagg won't tell us any details about their previous miraculous holders."

Tikki sighs. "Marinette, I already told you that they're not our stories to tell."

"I'm not asking for every detail," protests Marinette, waving her arms around in frustration as she stands up and starts to pace around. "Adrien and I are just looking for...I don't know, some guidelines, or something! There hasn't been an akuma since we started dating, and nobody except Alya and Nino knows our secret. The paparazzi are following Adrien around everywhere and there's no privacy anywhere and all I want to know is if I can just kiss my boyfriend instead of giving him a fist bump after an akuma battle without the press turning it into some huge deal. I just want to know if things will get better, you know?"

Adrien stands up beside her and takes her hand, squeezing it reassuringly. "Hey, we both do. I know this is hard, but we'll make it through this."

Marinette watches impatiently as Master Fu silently pours himself a fourth cup of tea and adds milk and sugar, stirring slowly and methodically until she starts to tap her foot with irritation.

"If you're waiting for me to give you the answer you want, you know I can't give it to you, Ladybug," he finally says, his voice calm and measured. " _Better_ is a highly subjective term. But what I can say is that regardless of their relationship, Ladybug and Chat Noir always have a deep connection. Sometimes the connection is romantic, like yours. Sometimes, it's familial. And sometimes, believe it or not, it is of allies across enemy lines. Each relationship and era comes with its own unique set of challenges, which cannot necessarily be applied to the next generation. That is why Tikki and Plagg hesitate to share these details with you. They don't want to give you advice that you can't use."

"Well, that's super helpful," grouses Marinette. "What are we supposed to do then?"

Master Fu smiles. "I encourage you to look at your situation from a bigger picture. Search for allies in places you don't expect to find them. I may not be able to help you more with this specific situation, but there are others in your social circle who may be able to help, if you ask them the right way."

Marinette stares at Master Fu, eyes narrowed, as Adrien anxiously looks back and forth between them as the tension builds in the room.

"How do you mean?" he asks nervously. "Do you know someone we should reach out to? There aren't a lot of people who know about our situation."

Suddenly, Marinette gasps. "Wait— _wait…"_

Adrien turns to her, concerned. "What? What is it?"

"Chloe."

Adrien blinks, uncomprehending. "What about her?"

"That's who Master Fu is talking about. An unexpected ally."

"I don't understand."

"Hear me out. She's the only other person who knows what it's like to have paparazzi follow her around all the time. And she cares a lot about you. And she hates me, but she loves Ladybug. She'll be happy to help us. Delighted, even. You know how big a fangirl she is. Can you imagine how she's going to react when I ask her for advice?"

"I never thought I'd live to see the day when you, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, would actively be seeking help from Chloe Bourgeois."

"Well, you know, desperate times, right?" says Marinette, shrugging.

Adrien laughs. "I guess so."

Master Fu smiles, but says nothing more.

* * *

Chloe Bourgeois is used to receiving her fair share of unexpected visitors at the hotel. Despite the fact that _some_ people seem to think she has no friends (namely the nasty bellman at the front door), Sabrina is not the only person who comes to see her. She has plenty of admirers and delivery people who know her by name, and she almost always expects at least one flower bouquet to show up on the weekends from one of her many would-be beaus.

What she does not expect is for both Ladybug and Chat Noir to show up in tandem outside her window at 9pm on a Saturday night, rapping on the glass.

She rushes over to the sliding door to let them in.

"Ladybug? What are you doing here? Did you get Daddy's request? I wanted to go on a shopping trip with you tomorrow afternoon, not tonight. Unless you want to do online shopping— I _could_ use a second pair of eyes on this dress I've been wanting to buy."

Chloe immediately stops talking as Ladybug presses a finger to her lips, barely containing the flush she can feel spreading across her cheeks.

" _Shh_ ," says Ladybug. "That's not why I came."

"Oh," says Chloe, stepping back, turning her attention to her other unexpected guest. "And why are _you_ here? I doubt it's to help me with my physics homework. You made it pretty clear you wouldn't accept money for that last time you were here," she adds, her lip curling with irritation.

Ladybug steps forward and takes her hands.

"Chloe— I never thought I'd say this, but I — we — we really need your help."

The piercing squeal of sheer glee that proceeds to echo across all of Le Grand Paris shatters two windows and multiple wine glasses in the hotel bar.


	15. these wings were made to fly

Ladybug slowly removes her hands from her ears once it appears that Chloe is finally done screaming. For a moment, she wonders if perhaps this wasn't the best idea, but it's too late now. It's clear that Chloe is 100% on board for whatever they're going to ask her to do, even though she has no idea what they want.

* * *

Chloe is practically leaping in ecstasy as she rushes to get her laptop and phone, at the ready and prepared to help Ladybug and Chat Noir in any way that they need. It's been far too long since she's had a chance to prove her value to her favorite superhero.

This request is also particularly important as it has only been a week since she accidentally caused another akuma (really, it wasn't her fault the ridiculous hairdresser her father hired for her was incompetent at her job and that she actually thought a perm would be a good look for the likes of Mademoiselle Bourgeois), she is eager to prove that she can indeed help the heroes of Paris. In a way that they will be sure to appreciate.

"I am so excited you finally decided to come to me for help! I'll be the best hero ever. I can get a proper suit made, we can get special bluetooth communicators— it's going to be oh so perfect! Speaking of which, don't think I didn't notice all of the changes you made to your suit, Ladybug. I love it. I've always wondered why you didn't have wings. It only makes sense. You're a Ladybug, for crying out loud." She gestures at Chat Noir. "After all, a ladybug without wings would be like a cat without ears."

She continues to dance around the room for several minutes, gathering items from her cosplay closet and from her makeup boxes until she realizes that neither Ladybug nor Chat Noir are saying anything. She whirls around.

"Wait, I didn't even ask you. What do you need my help with? Is it for a mission? Do you need money? Power? Influence? An invitation to the most exclusive parties in Paris? I have access to everything you could ever want or need."

She knows she's babbling, but something about the intense way the two of them are staring at her is starting to make her a little nervous. Though she would never admit it. Chloe Bourgeois does not get intimidated by anyone, even her favorite superheroes.

Well, superhero. Chat Noir isn't that great. A true hero would actually help a damsel in distress and rescue her from doing ghastly physics homework. Like darling Adrien would. Even though he's been ignoring her calls more often lately, the rude boy.

"What? What is it? Is there something wrong? Do I need Daddy to help too?"

Ladybug bites her lips and slowly exhales. This, for some reason, makes Chloe even more nervous than before.

"Well, Chloe— it has to do with Adrien," she says, her voice low and careful. "And what the press thinks is going on between us."

Chloe feels her heart sinking into her stomach. It's a curious feeling. Though she is still excited that they want her help, this is not what she expected.

"Oh. I see," she says, taking care to sound calm and detached, above any emotional connections. Haughty.

"And what exactly do you expect me to do about it? Adrien hasn't spoken to me at all about this. Does he know you're here?"

Ladybug and Chat Noir exchange secretive glances that clearly mean something — Chloe has no idea what — and Ladybug slowly nods.

"Yes. He does."

Chloe raises an eyebrow and crosses her arms. "Okay...and?"

Chat Noir steps forward. "He agreed it would be a good idea to ask you for advice. He said you would know how to help us — I mean, Ladybug and him — deal with the press and deflect their attention."

Chloe turns back to Ladybug. "Look, if I'm going to help you, I need to know what the deal is. Are you really dating each other? Or did the tabloids just see the pictures from the photoshoot and start building rumors out of thin air? As I'm sure you know, he and I are very close. But I haven't asked him anything about you, out of respect for his privacy."

This isn't entirely true. Chloe has mostly refrained from asking Adrien about what his status with Ladybug is out of a very strange feeling of jealousy that has consumed her ever since she saw the first tabloid headline about them together. She's not sure who she's more jealous of— Ladybug, Adrien, both of them, perhaps— it's all very confusing, and both Sabrina and the internet have been of absolutely no use at all.

Ladybug pauses. "It's a little hard to explain."

"What's so hard about it?" presses Chloe, raising an eyebrow. "Either you're together, or you're not."

"Yes, we're together...but it's not...how do I put it—"

Chloe is starting to get annoyed, though she still wants to be respectful. "But what? What is it?"

"We're—we're in an open relationship!" Ladybug blurts out. "Yes! That's it. An open relationship. No strings attached."

"An...open relationship?" repeats Chloe. "What exactly do you mean?"

"Um, essentially...we're not exclusive?"

"Oh. I see. That is...very interesting."

All the pieces start coming together as she considers this very unexpected piece of information. If they're not exclusive, that means there is a third person or possibly even a fourth person in the equation.

Chloe runs through everyone in her social circle. Perhaps it's a stranger. Perhaps it's not.

And then it occurs to her that the answer might be standing right in front of her.

She turns an appraising eye to Chat Noir. Who she has also noticed has suddenly gotten much taller than before. Personally, she's not a fan. He practically looks like a giant now. Have his hands gotten even bigger? It's ridiculous. He's supposed to be a cat, not a mountain lion.

But then again, perhaps Ladybug is interested in that sort of thing.

She inclines her head towards him.

"Is _he_ ….part of your... _arrangement_?"

Ladybug's eyes grow wide. "Chat Noir? I, um—well, I would rather not discuss details..."

"Then I can't help you," answers Chloe, crossing her arms. "Either you tell me all your dirty laundry or I can't help you avoid the nosy press at all. I can't develop a strategy without "

"I knew this would be a bad idea," Ladybug mutters under her breath, turning away.

"It's a delicate matter, Mademoiselle Bourgeois," cuts in Chat Noir, stepping forward and looking back and forth between the two girls. "But if My Lady doesn't want to share details, I do ask that you respect her wishes."

Chloe scowls. It's clear that playing hardball won't help her get any details that will help her figure out what's going on. She bites her lip as she wonders what strategy she can possibly use next to get some sort of information. Ladybug and Chat Noir are naive to think they're being subtle about the fact that there's something going on between the two of them as well, but the subtle tension between them is hardly something Chloe can leverage as proof.

A not so quiet part of her mind urges her to indicate her own interest in Ladybug, but she pushes it away. Now is not the time to proposition her hero, as much as she's secretly fantasized about it. No, she needs to wait for the right moment...ideally when Chat Noir isn't standing in between them.

She gulps as she realizes Ladybug is staring at her with narrowed eyes. _Merde_ , she's been quiet too long.

"Chloe, if you're thinking about how to blackmail us—if I have any reason to believe you're going to make trouble for us—"

"I would never!" she gasps, raising her arms and stepping back. "Adrien is one of my oldest friends. I would _never_ betray his trust like that."

Ladybug nods, though her expression is still uncertain. "Okay. I will choose to trust you. For now."

"Well, you're the one who burst in here," Chloe replies, a little more testily than intended. "I should be the one wondering whether to trust you."

Ladybug opens her mouth, presumably to deliver a pointed retort, but to Chloe's surprise, she just as quickly shuts it and steps back, turning around to face the window.

Chloe can see her reflection in the glass panels. She looks somber.

"Look. Adrien has a special connection with me, but there's someone else in his life too, someone who can't be seen in public with him thanks to his association with me. The last thing he wants is for her to be hounded by the press or for her privacy to be invaded."

Chloe nods. "I understand."

"Actually, what we really want is for the press to stop pressing him about his personal life at any given moment, but I realize that's never going to happen."

Ladybug turns back around to face Chloe.

"I wanted us to handle this on our own. But it would be unwise not to talk to someone who's handled press like this before. And you're the first person I thought of. So tell me, Chloe. What would you do in a situation like this? What...does your father do?"

Chloe thinks about the endless parade of women that have come through her father's mansion ever since her parents separated. Women that the press has never heard of, because whenever there was a chance of being found out, her father would do two things: a) create a public distraction; and b) disappear from the public eye on a short holiday in a place where the French tabloids couldn't find him, long enough for them to find some celebrity story more interesting than his. It is a strategy that has worked for the past thirteen years, and is likely to work as long as the tabloids continue to have a short memory.

So this is the advice that she imparts.

* * *

Ladybug stares dubiously at Chloe.

"You think we should create a 'public distraction'? Akumas are public distractions. Holiday parades are public distractions. What you're suggesting sounds a lot like a public relations stunt. And not a good one."

"I'm not saying you're wrong about that," Chloe drawls in her insufferably smug way. "I'm just saying that if you want the press to fixate on something else, you have to give them something to fixate _on_."

"And you think that Chat Noir _posing for a sexy photoshoot_ is the right kind of bait?!"

"Come on, Ladybug. Look at your partner. Who wouldn't want to stare at him? He's delicious to look at now."

Ladybug curls her lip in disgust. "Ugh, don't describe him like that. You make him sound like a piece of meat to be devoured by hungry gold diggers looking for fifteen minutes of fame."

Chloe scowls. "That's the point! You _want_ people to be fixated on him. Everyone's been paying so much attention to you ever since your little photoshoot in the mountains that they haven't even noticed how Chat Noir has been changing physically along with you."

"Why does that even _matter?!_ Of course we're changing. We were never going to stay children forever."

"Listen. You want to know about distractions? This is the best distraction you've got, standing right in front of you, and willing to do whatever he needs to do to make you happy, judging from how he looks at you. He's become a handsome young bachelor overnight. Or are you afraid to share the spotlight?"

Ladybug shakes her head. "I'm not afraid of anything. What I'm afraid of is taking your suggestions at face value and then regretting the consequences. We're not doing this."

Chloe shrugs. "Unless you have any better ideas, Adrien and his secret civilian companion won't be able to step out together in public without getting noticed. But maybe that's secretly what you want, anyway. To keep him to yourself. You're more selfish than I thought, Ladybug."

"Excuse me, Mademoiselle Bourgeois, for thinking your idea is ridiculous. I didn't realize the only suggestion you could give us would be _this._ How can I, in good conscience, ask my own partner to willingly subject himself to the same kind of objectification I'm experiencing myself? I refuse to be a hypocrite like that."

"Actually, it's not the same thing at all. And, I might add, the final choice is with Chat Noir, not you. You might be the leader of your duo, but he can make his own choices."

"I'm sure he agrees with me. Come on, _mon chaton_ , let's go. This was a bad idea."

Without another word, Ladybug slips out of the window and disappears into the night.

* * *

To Chloe's surprise, Chat Noir doesn't immediately follow Ladybug, choosing instead to linger for a few moments before he finally leaves without saying a word.

For some reason, Chloe feels like there's something he wants to ask her, but can't.

She doesn't quite know what to make of the feeling, and decides ultimately to ignore it.

* * *

Close to midnight, Chloe is about to fall asleep, when a dark shadow reappears outside her room.

Common sense tells her to scream, but instinct tells her that it's someone she knows.

When she parts the curtains, she learns that her instinct was right: it's Chat Noir, who has presumably returned to talk about whatever it was he couldn't talk about in front of Ladybug.

She lets him in with a yawn.

"So, you're back," she says. "Did you change your mind about helping me with physics homework after all? It's a little later for that."

He snorts. "Ever the opportunist."

"Are you really surprised?"

"Not at all," he says, laughing in an oddly familiar way, and Chloe gets the strange feeling that she's had a conversation like this with him before.

"But no. That's not why I'm here."

"I know there was something you wanted to say before you left a few hours ago. What was it?"

"You're more observant that I realized."

"Of course I am," she retorts. "I'm a politician's daughter. It's my responsibility to be the most observant girl in the room."

Chat Noir raises an eyebrow and his lips curl up into a grin that is just a little too smug for Chloe's liking.

"Is that right? Interesting."

"If there's a joke, I'd like to be in on it," she responds, curt once again. "Otherwise, get to the point. You're cutting into my precious beauty sleep."

Chat Noir nods and leans against the window.

"Ok. I have to be honest with you. It was Ladybug's idea to come here. She genuinely wanted your help—"

"Obviously!"

"Please, let me finish."

Chloe flushes with embarrassment. She doesn't usually care about coming across as rude, but for some reason, this feels a little different.

"I'm sorry. Go on."

"Even though she didn't understand why you were suggesting what you did, I do. And I'm ready to go through with it."

"I'm sorry?"

"The sexy photoshoot. I'm ready to do it."

"Did you come here just to tell me that?" asks Chloe, confused.

Char Noir's voice is steady. "No. I came here to explain why."

And then, in a flash of green, Chat Noir is gone. In his place stands someone Chloe thought she knew well, but it's clear that she doesn't know at all.

"Adrichou? **_You're_** Chat Noir?!"

* * *

Though he often feels the desire to do so, Adrien Agreste has rarely acted on impulse or instinct. Thanks to his overprotective parents, he has always followed the rules.

It's only after becoming Chat Noir that he's learned the benefits of taking calculated risks, and while he still doesn't take too many when he doesn't have the shield of his all-concealing disguise, he's learned to listen to that inner instinct that tells him to do things his father would consider ill-advised and unreasonable.

And although he's sure that even Ladybug would think what he's doing is crazy, when he looks into Chloe's eyes as she advises them on how to avoid the tabloids and what to do to keep them from finding out about their private lives, he can't help but feel like in the process, she's sharing details about her own life that he has always been vaguely aware of, but which he has never spoken to her about.

Because they're not the kind of friends she likes to pretend they are, and they haven't been, for a very long time. The Chloe Bourgeois he knew as a child is not the selfish, self-absorbed girl standing in front of him now. And yet something about the tiny sliver of honesty he can feel in her words is what compels him to share the truth about his identity with her, to help her understand why Ladybug has come to her for help, why they believe that she has the answers that nobody else will have.

Anyone else would tell him he's being irrational; and in truth, it's not like Chloe has done anything to merit his trust over the past few years. And yet instinct is telling him that this is the right thing to do.

He knows he can't reveal himself while Ladybug is still there, so he waits until she's gone. But even then, at first, he fights the instinct. It's not the right time; it's not the right moment.

He comes back at midnight, and before he can second guess himself, he de-transforms.

Ready to face the consequences, not matter what they may be.

If he's honest with himself, Adrien doesn't know what to expect from Chloe. But it's obvious that this is the last thing she was expecting herself, as she stands in front of him, jaw practically on the floor.

"You're dating Ladybug," she whispers. A question, not a statement. "And someone else at the same time. I don't understand."

He can only share his truth; not his lady's. So even as he shares the deepest secret of his life, he lies.

"I would say 'friends with benefits' is a better way to describe the relationship between Ladybug and me," he replies. The lie falls off his tongue like silk.

Chloe shakes her head. "Of everyone I know, you're the last person I would ever have expected to have a friends with benefits relationship with anyone. I always thought you were a romantic. I guess I was wrong."

"Neither of us know each other as well as we used to, Chloe," says Adrien. "We haven't been honest with each other for a very long time."

She cuts her eyes away. "Can you blame me? I don't have much of an incentive to be honest with anyone in my life. I don't know who I can trust."

"It's not just that. It's hard to be friends with someone who acts unkind to almost everyone."

"Really? Did you come here to lecture me? Because I don't need to listen to you. I know what I'm doing, and why. Judge me all you want, but at the end of the day, both you and Ladybug came here to ask _me_ for advice. And if you're going to criticize me after all of that, it makes you a hypocrite, not me."

Adrien shakes his head. "No, Chloe. That's not why I came here tonight. The reason I came here tonight is to talk to you about the other person in my life, because you know who she is."

"I don't understand."

"The other person in my life is Marinette Dupain-Cheng, and without your help, we can't go anywhere together without the press questioning our every move. Since they think Ladybug and I are dating, if they see me on a date with Marinette, there will be a lot of uncomfortable questions that neither she nor I will be able to answer."

"Why the hell would I want to help _Marinette Dupain-Cheng?!_ " screeches Chloe. "Does she know about your secret identity too?!"

"No, she doesn't know," Adrien immediately cuts in smoothly. "Ladybug is aware of her, however, and he wants us to be able to be together in public."

"And Marinette doesn't mind competing against a literal superheroine for your heart?"

"You'd be surprised. She has an open mind."

Chloe narrows her eyes and considers him again. "I thought I knew you, Adrien Agreste, but it's clear that you're hiding a lot more than anyone knows. And god knows Marinette has far more patience than I would."

"Listen," he replies. "When you were giving us that advice earlier? I know you were talking about everything that's happened with your father over the years. I know the press hasn't caught on at all, but it's obvious that you're speaking from experience when you talk about distracting the press so they don't know who you're spending time with. And I also know you haven't seen your mother in years."

"You don't know anything," Chloe hisses, eyes flashing angrily. "And don't bring my mother into this. I haven't brought yours into this discussion at all."

"I'm sorry. But the point is, I want to make sure you understand that I understand that finding privacy is incredibly difficult when you're a public figure. I've been living that struggle for years. And you know that. You know what it's like to have to pretend to be one way at school and another way at home, to put on a facade of happiness and being put together, and to keep the people who are important to you close to your chest and away from public view."

"What's your point?"

"My point is, that's how Marinette is for me. She's...she's precious to me. I don't want her to get hurt. I don't want anyone to get hurt. Not my lady, not Marinette, not my family...and I needed you to understand why this matters to me on multiple levels. And if it takes a racy photoshoot as Chat Noir to get the heat off Ladybug and attention off me as Adrien Agreste, then I'm willing to do it."

Chloe presses her lips together and frowns.

"It was different when I thought Chat Noir was someone else. Now that I know that he's you, I don't think it's the best idea, Adrichou. What if someone else finds out? What will your father say if he finds out?"

"Don't worry about that. If he hasn't found out who I am in the past three years, he's not about to discover my secret identity anytime soon. But I have to do this for Marinette and My Lady."

Chloe rolls her eyes. "You can't just pose for a sexy photoshoot to protect your girlfriend from the press. You have to have some sort of reason."

"Come on, I'm a superhero in a skintight black catsuit. I haven't leveraged this at all. I'm sure the public is just waiting to see my wild side, now that I'm a _handsome young bachelor_ , as you put it," replies Adrien with a smirk.

"You know, I've seen video of when I was akumatized as Antibug, and I'm pretty sure I called you lame. I still stand by that statement."

Adrien grins. "Maybe. But I still think you should get me a shoot in the raciest magazine in Paris."

"Excuse me? Do I look like an agent to you? Schedule your own photoshoot!"

"Shame. I was under the impression you were connected to _everyone_ in Paris. But I guess I can ask someone else to book me for a shoot. Maybe Nino can help me. I'm sure he'd love to help one of the coolest superheroes in Paris."

"Nino Lahiffe is a hipster and wouldn't be able to identify a single magazine that actually mattered if he tried."

"I suppose I could ask Alya to feature me on the Ladyblog as well. I'm sure she wouldn't mind."

"Absolutely not. If you want to do this effectively, you can't go through a _blog_ , you have to go through a legitimate publication."

"Wow, Chloe, you know so much."

"Of course I do. This is my bread and butter. How else am I supposed to help my father navigate the nasty world of the press?"

"So you'll help me?"

"Ugh. Fine. _Yes_."


End file.
